Kohaku's Tale
by Novawings
Summary: Lost spirit, warrior for the council, apprentice to the river god, currently working for Yubaba and in love with a human. Five years after Spirited Away, Kohaku finds he has a lot to deal with...
1. Leaving

Author's Notes

Okay, I have been working very hard on this ever since I first saw the movie. The story starts right after Chihiro leaves. This story is mostly about Kohaku, if you couldn't tell from the title, but Chihiro will be back. Just not this chapter. If you don't figure it out, Kawa-kami is the same river god that they all thought was a stink spirit and Chihiro cleaned up. But, uh, yeah, the story...

Disclaimer: I do not own Sprited Away or any of it's characters. This is simply what my imagination has done with the story that I am sharing with you. 

  
  


Kohaku's Tale 

  
  


He continued to smile sadly as the girl he had come to care for more than anything walked away from him and back into her normal life. He knew he would see her again; he had promised her such and would rather die than break that promise. What spared him any joy was that he might have to wait for death to keep it. 

He should have been heading back to the Aburaya to terminate his apprenticeship with Yubaba. The apprenticeship that had basically forced him into servitude and neglected to teach him anything. Despite that, the bathhouse had been the closest thing to a home he'd had since his river was destroyed. Soon he wouldn't even have that anymore. 

Sighing, Kohaku shifted form and took to the sky. He would take some time to sort out all of the thoughts and emotions that were plaguing him. After all, he had plenty of it now. 

***

Yubaba stomped into her office, her bad mood tainting the air. What she saw when she got there didn't help it any either. 

"Zeniba!" She screeched, catching sight of her twin sister sitting behind her desk. Yubaba would then have attempted to curse her sister, had it not been for the fact that 'Zeniba' was slightly transparent. 

"Hello sister." Yubaba grated her teeth slightly at the greeting, for the tone Zeniba was infuriatingly cheerful. 

"What do you want?" Yubaba forced the words out through clenched teeth. 

"Want? Oh I wish for nothing from you dear sister, other that a short conversation."

"Fine." Yubaba spat. "Talk then."

"Very well. I'm sure you know that the spell you cast on Haku has been broken." 

"An annoyance, yes, but one that will soon be remedied." 

Zeniba grinned. "Are you sure of that sister? I know that the power you're draining from him has slowed to a trickle. As soon as he has formally ended his apprenticeship with you you'll be left with only your own magic. You know that the council wouldn't stand for you draining him once he left." 

Yubaba's eyes flashed, but then she seemed to calm. "He can't end his apprenticeship without destroying his contract, and he could only do that if he remembered his name. And that is simply impossible." 

"Is it?" Zeniba asked. Then she laughed. "What are you going to do dear sister? What are you going to do?" 

Zeniba's laughter echoed throughout the small room long after the piece of paper generating her image had been burnt to a crisp. 

***

He was floating, letting the wind carry him where it may without the slightest care. He could spend the rest of his life that way, just floating on the breeze, and who would really care? Chihiro was really the only one who cared about him in the slightest and he knew of no way to even speak with her. There was certainly no way for him to cross into the physical world. When his river had been destroyed he had lost any way of ever hoping to get there. And Chihiro wouldn't be able to just wander into the spirit realm again. It was amazing that she got through the first time. Kohaku brushed the thoughts aside. There was no point in even thinking about the possibilities, even if he could contact her he wouldn't. Not yet. Chihiro needed time to be a kid in her own world, time to learn and to grow up. She would have to live out her life in her world after all, not his. 

The thought tore at his heart and he immediately shoved it back to the recesses of his mind. He really was quite pathetic, worrying and missing her so badly when she had only been gone a few hours. In fact, it really was rather stupid of him to be behaving as such, but at that point he just didn't care. 

He hadn't really known her that long, but he felt like he had and now he felt incomplete without her around. It was a feeling akin to that of losing his river. Granted he still couldn't remember much about those times, but he could faintly recall a dull aching feeling like someone had torn off one of his limbs, but prevented him from really feeling it. It hurt only because he knew it should hurt. But later there had been an actual physical stabbing pain that had seized him and only let go sometime after he had wandered into the bathhouse and become Yubaba's apprentice. 

Due to his peaceful drifting and troubled thoughts, Kohaku didn't notice that a much larger river spirit was flying in his direction. As fate would have it, they slammed into each other. 

For a moment Kohaku froze. He had never really had any contact with other spirits besides those that worked at the Aburaya. Yubaba had never allowed him to speak with any of the guests, and the missions she sent him on usually involved not being noticed. Still, Kohaku was not a spirit without manners and was about to apologize when the other spirit spoke. 

"Boy, you should watch where you're going, even if not especially when you are wallowing in self-pity."

Kohaku was annoyed by the greater spirits rather accurate assessment but chose not to respond. He had not desire for any form of contact at the moment and wanted to finish with the other spirit as quickly as possible. 

"I offer my most sincere apologies for bumping into you." He would of bowed, but he was in midair and dragons didn't bow well as it was. 

"However," the great spirit continued as if Kohaku hadn't spoken, "sometimes we need to go where the wind takes us in order to find our destiny." 

Kohaku was now unsure if the spirit hadn't heard him or if he was going senile in his old age, but he made no move to leave. When asked about the incident later he wouldn't be able to say exactly why. 

"I am the river god, Kawa-kami. Who are you boy?" The other spirit turned and looked Kohaku in the eye. Kohaku was a bit lost for an answer. If anyone had asked him that questing a week ago he wouldn't have hesitated replying. But now...

"I'm a spirit without a home." He finally said, purposely omitting his name from the statement. For some reason he felt very inferior in the presence of the river got. He was, after all, an actually god wile he was a lowly river spirit without physical manifestation and nowhere to go. 

"Are you lost?" Kawa-kami asked, confusion coloring his tone. 

"In a way." Kohaku replied. "My river was destroyed a long time ago, and now I'm searching for a home, so I guess I am lost." 

The river god stared at him for a moment. It was as if he was attempting to dissect the mind of the boy in front of him. Finally he spoke. "Very well boy. I believe our paths may cross again one day. Until then I would suggest you try and at least find a direction. No one can be lost forever." 

  
  


Kohaku watched as the other spirit drifted away. He didn't move until Kawa-kami was no more then a speck in the sky scape. He then turned and began heading back to the Aburaya. Yubaba would probably be expecting him, and he would so hate to disappoint her. 

***

Zeniba sat quietly rocking back and forth in her rocking chair while No-Face tended to the fire. A great wind began to rattle the house, threatening the structures integrity. 

"No-Face," Zeniba spoke softly, "would you kindly let our impatient guest in?" No-Face bowed and went to open the door. Into the hut walked an old man. The years he had seen had stained his beard white, but had not yet touched his posture. 

"Kawa-kami, how good of you to visit me." Zeniba greeted him, not at all disturbed by this sudden arrival. 

The man bowed his head. "I have to confess that this trip isn't exactly a pleasure visit." 

Zeniba nodded in response. "I gathered as much. This is about Kohaku, isn't it?"

The river god nodded, looking a bit guilty. "I believe I ran into the boy on the way here, or rather he flew into me."

Zeniba said nothing, but instead continued her rocking. 

"I don't really understand what he was saying. He mentioned something about being lost." 

He looked to Zeniba and she sighed, finally discontinuing her rocking. "I take it you want to know what's been going on with him?" 

The old man nodded. "If you please." 

"Come sit down then." Zeniba said, gesturing to the other chair near the fire. The river god complied. And Zeniba resumed her rocking as she spoke. "The one that he waited for returned to him and freed him from my sister. Now he searches for a home as he waits for her to return." 

The river god nodded, apparently understanding the very vague explanation. 

"What of his power?" 

Zeniba chuckled a bit. "My sister is quite upset about that. She hasn't been able to draw much off of him since the spell she cast on him was destroyed, and even less since he's remembered his name." 

The river god nodded. "Good. It should hit him sometime soon then. And I mean that literally." 

"What are your plans for him then?" Zeniba's steady rocking was the only bit of normalcy in the room at that point. 

The old man sighed. "I hope to make him my apprentice. Although I have no idea how he'll react to the offer so soon after ending such a useless one, but it will be a lot easier for him to deal with that power if he has something to focus it on." 

"Are you planning to tell him about it then?" 

"No! Heavens, no! With that much power? It's bad enough that he received it at such an age and with no one to guide him. To tell him? I'm afraid that it would corrupt him. Power like that has corrupted greater stronger souls." 

"You should have more faith in him." Zeniba replied.

The river god shook his head. "Perhaps I should, but we can't take risks with him at this point." 

For a moment there was silence. Then the old man spoke. His voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm considering offering his future to the council." 

Zeniba stopped rocking abruptly. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the human form of the river god sitting next to her who refused to meet her eyes. 

"The council?" She whisper in disbelief. "You would take him before the council?"

The old man buried his head in his hands. "I won't do it for a least a few years. And it will be his decision. But it's the only thing I can think of." 

"The council could sentence him to death!" 

"They will if they feel they have reason to fear him." 

"Should they?" 

"I don't think so, but no one can ever be absolutely sure when it comes to them." 

Zeniba shook her head. "He may have stolen from me, but I can't help feeling sorry for him. He really doesn't deserve what he's been put through, what he's going to be put through." 

"I know Zeniba, believe me I know." 

***

Kohaku flew directly to the top of the Aburaya to Yubaba's office. He was ready to get this over with. He flew straight in through the window making sure the shudders slammed behind him and that the wind blew Yubaba's papers everywhere. He pivoted to face Yubaba, then shifted form in mid-air before landing softly on the ground. 

"Really Haku! What is the meaning of this!" Yubaba half-questioned, half scolded him as she darted around the room, putting everything back in its place. 'Go ahead' thought Kohaku, 'play dumb.'

"I'm leaving." He announced. Yubaba stopped her flitting around and looked at him. 

"What do you mean Haku? You just got back." The irritation she was feeling crept into her tone and painfully obvious that she knew he wasn't taking about going out for an afternoon jaunt. 

"I'm terminating my apprenticeship." Kohaku said. 

"No, you're not." Yubaba replied her eyes narrowing. 

"Yes, I am. I am the spirit of the Kohaku River and I am ending my apprenticeship with you." 

Yubaba's eyes widened. "No you're not. You can't! You signed a contract!" She flew over to her cabinet from which she snatched a piece of paper. "See? See?" She shouted as she pointed at the piece of paper. 

"What I see," Kohaku said, taking what was being so rudely shoved in his face, "is a blank piece of paper." 

He turned the piece of paper around showing it to Yubaba and she saw that what he said was true. The piece of paper that had once been the binding contract of apprenticeship Kohaku had signed so many years ago, what now completely blank. 

"What?!" She spat, grabbing the piece of paper from Kohaku. 

"I'll be leaving now." Kohaku's comment was ignore by Yubaba, who was furiously studying the paper as if she looked at it enough the characters would come back. Kohaku exited through the door, planning to have one finally look at the place he had thought of as home. 

No one spoke to him as he walked through the halls of the Aburaya. It was now late in the afternoon and everyone was preparing for the evening rush of guests. 

"Haku!" 

He turned to look for the person who had called his name, but didn't see anyone. A bit annoyed, Kohaku continued to walk out of the main room into the smaller foyer. 

"Haku!" 

This time when he turned around Lin was there. She was panting and had apparently run down from one of the top floors. He allowed her a moment to catch her breath but when she still hadn't said anything a full minute later, his patience ran out. 

"What is it Lin?" He asked, his voice edged with annoyance. 

She took one last gulp of air before answering. "Why did you help Sen?" 

Kohaku was taken aback by the question. He really didn't know exactly why he had chosen to help Chihiro. In the spirit world or so many years ago when she fell into his river. Oh sure it had been the 'right' thing to do and all, but he had the odd feeling that if it had been any other human he wouldn't have bothered. 

"It's none of your business." He finally answered Lin, trying to push his way past her (since she had conveniently maneuvered herself to block his escape). 

"How long were you helping her then?" Lin asked, using her size to her advantage to keep him from pushing her aside. 

"I told you Lin, it's really none of your business now kindly move out of my way!"

"Because she kept asking about you." Kohaku stopped trying to push his way past her. "She did?" 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. Of course she would have been asking about him! He was the only one trying to help her get home so asking about him was the same as asking when she would be able to go home. And that was all! But a small part of him wanted to believe that at least some of the time she was concerned about him. 

A grin slowly spread across Lin's face. "Yeah, she did." 

Kohaku went back to mentally kicking himself for slipping up. Once Lin got wind of something like this she never let go. He had seen other spirits learn that lesson the hard way and now it seemed that he would be following along their path of misery. 

"Thank you Lin, if you don't mind I'll be leaving now." Kohaku tried to push his way past her again, thinking maybe he could escape before she started an interrogation, but she continued to block him. 

"Where are you going Haku? On another mission for Yubaba?" Lin was really getting on his last nerve. She couldn't even get it over with, no she was planning one prolonging his agony and then had to hit on a rather sensitive subject. 

"No Lin, I'm leaving for good." 

"What?" Lin looked rather shocked. "What do you mean?" 

"I mean," he answered testily, " that I am no longer Yubaba's apprentice and I am leaving the Aburaya for good." 

Lin blinked, still looking rather confused and Kohaku took the opportunity to step past her making a beeline for the door. 

"Where are you going?" She called after him once she got her wits about her. Kohaku didn't giver her an answer; he didn't have one. 

He made it out the door and continued walking, only pausing briefly before crossing the bridge. He really should say good-bye to Kamaji. He definitely owed the old man for taking care of him and for helping Chihiro, but he didn't feel that he could. He hated good-byes and after Chihiro he didn't need another anytime soon. 

Once across the bridge he took one last look at the bathhouse before shifting into his dragon form and taking to the sky. Where should he go? The truth was that he didn't really have anywhere to go. The only places he could ever remember being besides the Aburaya were to the homes of several witches and warlocks, all of which who despised Yubaba and in turn despised him for associating with her. Well, all except one. Kohaku turned and headed towards Zeniba's before he could have second thoughts. 

It wasn't that he was on very good terms with the witch, he would be lucky if she would let him in at all. But he had protected Chihiro and got her home, so she probably wouldn't still be mad at him, would she? At the very least she knew the spirit world better than he did and could probably tell him someplace he could go. 

He flew in lazy circles toward swamp bottom. He was looking for Zeniba's when it hit him. An unimaginable, sharp burning pain that assaulted him from all sides. Kohaku thrashed back and forth trying to get away from it, or somehow shake it off or something. The pain was messing with his brain. He couldn't think straight anymore. Finally, he could handle it no longer and passed out, falling like a stone to the earth below. 

***

A/N

And so ends chapter one. I'd really appreciate it if you would view and tell me what you either like or dislike about the story and just what you think in general. Please?


	2. Finding

Author's Notes

In honor of wonderful reviews from such wonderful people, I'm actually updating what would be considered "on time." Chapter three will be out next week, because it's already typed. Everything after that is a huge maybe. Seriously, I just started high school with an all honors course load, and I swear it will be the death of me. Anyway.... this chapter is more of getting Kohaku (and Chihiro) situated in their own respected worlds after the seperation. The good stuff comes next chapter (in my opinion). So... umm... yeah..

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away. That simple enough english for those lawyer sharks?

  
  


Chihiro examined herself in the mirror. She had gotten up absurdly early, well at least early for her, in order to get ready for her first day of school. She didn't particularly like the yellow and grey uniform she had to wear; the pink uniform she had worn at the Aburaya was more comfortable, and in Chihiro's opinion a much prettier color. She sighed. After returning home from the spirit realm she had quickly found that everything was better there. She definitely preferred cleaning floors to unpacking. Her parents had been so fanatic about getting everything unpacked and the furniture situated and everything else that they hadn't noticed the length of time where they could not remember doing anything. But Chihiro remembered, and she missed all of her friends there so badly, especially Kohaku. 

It had taken her quite a while to get used to calling him Kohaku instead of Haku. But it was his true name and she would use it. 

She wondered what he was doing. Out of all of the friends she had made in spirit world, Kohaku had the most uncertain future. He had said that he was going to quit being Yubaba's apprentice. So where was he going to go? What was he going to do?

She sighed once more. She couldn't go on like this. If she was constantly missing and worrying about her friends in spirit world she'd never make new ones here. Her hand reached up and lightly touched the hair tie her friends had made her. It was the only thing she had left from her adventure, besides her memories. 

Chihiro bit her lip as she tried to shove those memories to the back of her mind. She had to stay here for now. Kohaku had promised she'd see him again, and she could wait until he made good on his promise. She could. 

"Chihiro! Hurry up! You're going to be late for school!" 

"I'm coming!" She called back to her mother. She glanced at herself in the mirror one more time before heading downstairs. 

She could wait. She would wait. And until then she'd make new friends and adjust to her new school. She could do it. 

Couldn't she?

***

When Kohaku awoke he was somewhere warm. Everything was sort of hazy, and his whole body ached. Somewhere along the line he could feel that he had shifted from dragon to human. That was unusual; he had been in so much pain he couldn't think straight but he could shift?

"Will he be alright?" One voice asked. 

"I believe so, he has a few broken bones, but they're already mending. What about...?"

"As far as I can tell he's absorbed it all. I really didn't expect him to do is so quickly. He'll be tired for quite a while, but he'll be fine." 

Oh... were the voices talking about him? It would make sense for him to have broken bones from the height he fallen from. But what was all that about absorbing? Absorbing what?

"When do you suppose he'll wake up?" 

"I really don't know. A couple of hours, a couple of days, it all depends." 

And this was the last thing Kohaku heard before drifting back into peaceful darkness. 

***

The next time Kohaku awoke everything was much clearer and the only thing that hindered him was a feeling of slight fatigue. Slowly, he sat up. He was in a house. A rather large house, but one not divided into rooms by walls. There was a fire going and a spinning wheel in the corner, but no one was in the room besides him. Looking around some more, Kohaku realized that he had been here before. Although he was surprised he recognized the place since the last time he had entered he had been stealing Zeniba's golden seal. 

Well, at least he had gotten to his destination. Kohaku shook his head back and forth. What had happened to him? He could remember a loth of pain and then passing out. The question was, why? Had someone been attacking him? Would Yubaba have tried to come after him? He knew she was vindictive, but she wasn't evil. 

Kohaku reached to remove the blanket that was covering him, but stopped halfway through. His clothes were soaked with blood. He stared at the bloodied cloth a minute, in complete shock. He didn't feel any pain, not anymore. He pulled aside the fabric but his skin was unmarred. He ran his fingers over it to make sure but there was nothing, no scar, no pain, nothing. He smoothed his clothes back into place. It couldn't be his blood then, so whose was it?

A creaking noise turned his attention to the door where Zeniba was holding the door open for No-Face who was carrying a large basket of vegetables. Zeniba took off her giant straw hat which she set down near the door and No-Face bowed to Kohaku in greeting before taking the vegetables over to the sink. Zeniba fussed with her hair a bit before she took notice of the boy spirit sitting upright and looking a bit confused. 

"Oh good you're up! But you'd best lie down dear, you need your rest." Zeniba rushed over to force him to lay back down. 

" I'm fine." He responded, lying down just the same. "What happened to me?" 

Zeniba bit her lip and seemed to hesitate before replying. "Well I really don't know. You were in pretty bad shape when you got here. You were bleeding and had a couple of broken ribs, and you were soaked from the rain! Something awful must have happened to you. Do you remember anything?" 

"Not really. I remember a lot of pain and then I think I fell, and then I can't remember anything." 

Zeniba nodded. "Would you like some soup?" Not waiting for a reply, she went over to the stove to get some for him. 

"How did I get here?" Kohaku asked. 

"Hmm? Oh. Well you landed just a bit away from here and one of my friends found you on his way to visit me and brought you here." She set the tray carrying the soup she had brought on the chair next to him while she put several large pillows behind his head so he could sit up and eat. 

"Are you going to be able to manage?" she asked, setting the tray on his lap. He nodded. He felt fine. Had he really been hurt as bad as she claimed? He did have a faster healing rate then humans, but still those injuries would have taken days to heal. 

"How long have I been here?" Kohaku asked, picking up the spoon. 

"You arrived yesterday afternoon, a bit after the storm started." Zeniba called from the table where she was making some sort of cake with No-Face. 

Kohaku drew a sharp breath. Only yesterday he had sustained those injuries? There was no way he should have been able to heal that fast. Even with his energy at its peak he would never be able to do that, he most certainly wouldn't have been able to do it passed out in the middle of a storm. He didn't remember a storm, but he didn't remember being that hurt either. So if he couldn't have healed himself, someone else must have done it for him. It most likely had been Zeniba's friend, since she seemed rather surprised he could sit up. There was no other explanation. This reassuring him, Kohaku began eating. The soup was quite good. Much better than the three-odd day old junk they would serve at the bathhouse when business was slow. 

A short time later he had drained the bowl. Kohaku shifted uncomfortably. He was tired of laying down. He wanted to get up and stretch. Zeniba was still busy with her cake, and even though she had told him not to move, he could at least do his own dishes since she had been so kind to him. 

He peeled back the blanket and slowly settled himself. It took him a moment to steady himself. He hadn't stood in almost a day. He took the tray and walked it over to the sink, but he didn't get that far. 

"And what do you think you are doing?" Kohaku turned to see Zeniba looking less than happy with him. 

"I'm washing the dishes." He answered. 

"No, you're not." Zeniba replied. "Those are serious injuries and you are not getting up again until you're healed. Chihiro would be very upset if she knew that you were letting yourself heal."

Kohaku cringed. She had to drag Chihiro into it, didn't she?

"I'm fine though." 

"I don't believe you. You're going to lie back down right now." 

"But-"

"No buts. You were seriously injured and now you have to regain your strength." 

"Zeniba." A third voice spoke. "Leave the boy be." 

They both turned to look at the new arrival. No-Face was holding the door open for the old man who had spoken. 

"Kawa-kami." Zeniba greeted him. 

Kohaku said nothing. The old man seemed very familiar. 

"Zeniba." The old man spoke. "He's fine. Let the boy do as he likes." 

Zeniba looked a bit ruffled. "How can you say that? You saw the condition he was in yesterday!"

The old man nodded. "Yes I did, but believe me Zeniba, if the boy says he's fine, then he's fine." 

Zeniba glared at him, the glared at Kohaku. The she sighed and went over to the basket sitting by the fire. She took something out of it and walked back over and handed the folded clothes to him 

"Here you are. Change into these. You shouldn't be walking around in bloody clothes." Kohaku accepted the offer of fresh clothes and went to change behind a curtain Zeniba must have hung for that exact purpose. He peeled off the bloody garments and replaced them with the ones Zeniba had given him. They were very much the same as his normal attire, with the exception of the fact they were completely white with embroidery on the edges. 

He wondered who Zeniba had made the clothes for. He really didn't know anything about Yubaba's family except she loved her baby and hated her sister. Yubaba had never said anything else; he didn't even know who the baby's father was. But even from the little he knew of the family he doubted that there would be someone anywhere near his size included in it. So who would Zeniba have made the clothes for? 

He folded his soiled clothes before emerging from behind the curtain. He would have to ask Zeniba if there was somewhere he could wash them before he left. 

The old man and Zeniba were sitting near the fire talking quietly. The cake Zeniba had been making was now baking in the oven and filling the room with a delicious smell. No-Face approached him, bowing slightly and holding out his arms as if to take the bloody clothes. Kohaku hesitated. He didn't really like accepting favors unless he really needed them. 

"Kohaku, would you please come here? We need to talk." Zeniba called. Kohaku allowed No-Face to take the soiled clothes and walked over to stand before Zeniba and the old man. 

"I don't believe I've properly introduced myself," the old man began, "well, at least not like this. I'm the river god. I believe we flew into each other earlier. You're Kohaku, aren't you?" 

Kohaku nodded. "I would once again like to apologize for that." 

The old man waved it aside and shook his head. "Think nothing of it boy. I told you before, destiny takes a hand sometimes and it's best not to fight her." 

Kohaku studied the man a moment. "Were you the one who found me and brought me here?" He finally asked. 

The old man nodded. Kohaku bowed. " I thank you then Kawa-kami. I am indebted to you." He turned to Zeniba. "I am also indebted to you. I thank you very much for taking care of me and letting me stay here." He bowed to her. Zeniba smiled and nodded. She knew that the boy's pride wouldn't accept the fact that she didn't want him to repay her. 

"Kohaku, I have to be honest with you." The old man said as he settled back into his chair. Kohaku turned to face him. 

"I've been watching you for a while." The old man smiled. "I think you have great potential and I would like to offer you an apprenticeship under me." 

Kohaku blinked. "An apprenticeship?" 

The old man nodded. "Yes, I know that you've just finished one apprenticeship and that it didn't go very well, but I do promise that I'll teach you everything I know, and you'll be free to leave at any time." 

Kohaku squirmed a bit. "You really want to teach me?" He was a homeless river spirit who had done the less the righteous bidding of the sorceress Yubaba. Why would the great Kawa-kami want to teach him?

The old man looked a bit confused for a moment. Then he laughed. "Yes you boy! You have a lot of potential, even if you don't realize it yet. As long as you try hard to do what's asked of you I don't see us running into any problems." 

Kohaku paused a moment before answering. He had nowhere else to go, who shouldn't he accept? It was unusual, normally a spirt would have to beg someone as great as the river go to be their apprentice. But Kohaku had never had to ask for an apprenticeship, they just got handed to him. And Kawa-kami was a powerful spirit, perhaps he knew of a way he could see Chihiro again. 

"It would be my honor to be an apprentice to you Kawa-kami." 

"It's my honor to have you as an apprentice." The old man just looked at Kohaku for a moment. Then slowly he rose from his chair. "We'd best be going then Zeniba." He went over and kissed her hand. "Thank you very much for everything." 

"Oh, don't worry about it. I like having company. I really don't get enough of it." Zeniba too rose from her chair. She walked with Kawa-kami over to the door. Kohaku turned to follow his new teacher when No-Face approached him. He bowed slightly and handed Kohaku a drawstring bag the Kohaku guess contained his clothes. 

"Thank you." Kohaku said, marveling at how quickly his clothes had been cleaned while slinging the bag over his shoulders. He bowed slightly to No-Face, who bowed in return and then headed outside to rejoin Zeniba and Kawa-kami. 

"Thank you again for taking care of me." Kohaku said, bowing to Zeniba. "How should I return the clothes to you?" 

"Don't bother dear, I made them for you anyway." Kohaku was rather shocked that she would have spent all that time making clothes for him. 

"Come along boy, we don't have all day!" Kohaku turned to see his teacher had already shifted forms. He bowed once more to Zeniba before shifting forms himself and taking flight after Kawa-kami.

How odd, less than a day ago he had been drifting aimlessly with no real purpose. Now he was apprentice to the greatest river spirit there was. If something as extraordinary as that could happen, maybe he would see Chihiro again sooner then he hoped. 

***

Kids seemed to be everywhere: on the steps, on the jungle gym, standing in the pathway and spilling over onto the grass. Chihiro's parents had told her that her new school would be smaller than her old on, but seeing this she wasn't sure she believed them. 

"Do you want me to go in with you?" He mother must have seen the apprehension her face. She had never been very good about hiding how she was feeling. Chihiro shook her head in response. Maybe she would have accepted her mothers offer before, but after facing Yubaba alone, she was sure she could handle a few kids and a teacher. 

"Alright sweetie, I'll pick you up after school then, okay?" Chihiro nodded. She probably could have walking home, but she knew her mother wanted to pick her up and hear all about her day on the car ride home. It was one of those things that came with being an only child. Chihiro opened the car door and climbed out. Chihiro tried her best to return the smile her mother gave her as she slammed the car door shut. Funny thing about car doors is that they had to be slammed in order to be shut properly. 

"Bye Chihiro!" Her mother called as she drove away. Chihiro waved until the car had rounded the ben and her mother was out of sight. She took a deep breath before turning around to face the people who would be her classmates, friends, or perhaps mortal enemies. A few of them were looking at her. Some were in small groups whispering. Chihiro shifted her weight self-consciously from one foot to the other for a moment and probably would have continued to do so had it not been for one thing. 

"Watch out!" Chihiro barely had time to turn, much less to heed the warning. All her brain managed to register was that a girl approximately her age with long black hair and hazel eyes on skates was coming directly at her, arms flailing, and quite obviously going to fall. The only problem was that Chihiro was in her way, so instead of just falling, she crashed, knocking both of them to the ground. 

"Ow." The other girl complained as she sat up. Chihiro agreed with the sentiment. After a few moments of checking to make sure nothing was broken and getting over the shock of the fall, the other girl started to apologize. 

"I am so sorry!" She did her best to help Chihiro up while still on skates. "I'm still trying to get used to these things." Chihiro got up to face the other girl, who still looked horribly guilty about crashing into her. 

"It's okay." Chihiro replied. Sure it had hurt, but the worst of her injuries was probably her scuffed up uniform. 

"Hey," the girl cocked her head to the side, "you're new here aren't you?"

Chihiro blinked in surprise. She really hadn't expected to be singled out as 'new' so immediately. "Uh... yeah. I'm Chihiro." 

The girl clapped her hands together, as if meeting the new kid first had made her day. "I'm Tomoe. Wow, it's been forever since we had someone new move in. Oh, you're going to love it here. I'll show you around. Everyone's pretty nice, and the people who aren't you can probably avoid. Would you mind helping me over to the steps? Thanks! Where did you move here from anyway?"

Chihiro answered Tomoe's question (and the subsequent questions) as she helped her over to the steps where she took off the skates. 

Tomoe was good on her word. She showed Chihiro around and introduced her to everyone. And Chihiro made her first new friend. 

***

A/N

Sooooo? What did you think? I really really really want to know. Which characters do you people like? Dislike? Which ones do you want to hear more from? I've come up against writer's block and I need some opinions to help me out. Please?


	3. Being

Author's Notes  
  


Okay, I didn't get a big response from the last chapter, but I'm gonna post this anyway because I'm bored and I really like this chapter. And before you read this there may be parts where Kohaku is considered to be ooc. However, you have to remember that he has had to spend practically every waking hour with kawa-kami and when it comes to his training kawa-kami demands a lot from Kohaku. So Kohaku was polite and respectful for the first month or so, but gave up. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away. Well, I own a copy on dvd but I do not own the ideas or characters or settings or.... oh you get the idea. But Light and her guardians are 100% mine!  
  


One year past...

"You're not concentrating. Try it again." 

Kohaku looked very annoyed. "I've been trying for the past half-hour. I can only stare at an empty bowl for so long!"

"You just not trying hard enough." 

"If I concentrate anymore I'll tie my brain in knots. Face it, I can't conjure fire. I'm river spirit!"

"You never know when a spell may come in handy. Besides, I'm the river god and I can conjure fire."

"So?" Kohaku was pouting now. "I'm just a lowly river spirit. How can you compare your powers to mine?"

His teacher's temper that had been slowly escalating now calmed. "It's not that you can't do it, it's that you're distracted. Now, tell me what it is."

Kohaku avoided his teacher's eyes. He hated that Kawa-kami always knew when he was really trying and when he was just pretending to try. But today was the first time that he actually had a decent reason for not trying. 

"Would it be possible?... that is....is there anyway for a human to pass into the spirit world?" It had been a whole year since Chihiro went back home, and if he was going to keep his promise to her he figured that he should at least start forming some sort of plan. 

"There is..." Kawa-kami answered hesitantly, "but it takes an enormous amount of power to execute, you're nowhere near ready to perform a spell of that magnitude."

"But if I train really hard?" Kohaku was practically bursting, not wanting to dare to hope that his question had been answered so easily. 

"Ah...perhaps." His teacher answered. "Now, back to the bowl." 

Kohaku turned back to the bowl with renewed energy. He would be able to master anything Kawa-kami threw at him, and he would earn enough power to bring Chihiro back.

An invisible spark caught fire in the wooden bowl, burning blue-white. 

"Not bad." His teacher praised him. "Now let's try it with water in the bowl." 

***

Tomoe glared at Sumi and Sumi glared back. Chihiro bowed her head over her desk and doodled on the cover of her notebook. She knew better than to get involved. She wasn't surprised that the two were already at odds. They had fought constantly last year and there was no reason that things would be any different this year. 

Not that she really blamed Tomoe. Sumi was a brat. She thought the whole world should worship her because her parents were rich. And unfortunately the teachers just about had too because her father made huge donations to the school and her mother was on the board of education. She was probably the only person in the whole school that Chihiro couldn't stand. 

Sumi was a sharp contrast to Tomoe. Tomoe had dark brown hair that she would never dream of coloring and hazel eyes. Sumi had bleach-blond hair and icy blue eyes. Sumi was arrogant; Tomoe was not. Tomoe was an excellent student; Sumi skated by with her parent's influence. Everyone liked Tomoe. Sumi won friends with fear. No one was really surprised that they clashed so badly. 

"They're at it again eh?" Chihiro turned. "Hi Joe." 

Joe was her next-door neighbor. Sometimes he would walk with her to school and chase Tomoe downhill when she wore her skates. Even after a year she still hadn't gotten the hang of them. 

The bell rang. Tomoe and Sumi continued to glare at each other but went to their respective seats. 

"I don't know if I can take her this year Chihiro, I really don't." Tomoe said to Chihiro as she sat down in the desk behind her. 

Chihiro sighed. "Don't worry, if you get really frustrated, just hit her with ball in gym and make it look like an accident." 

Tomoe rolled her eyes. She knew as well as Chihiro that it wasn't an option to even 'accidently' hurt Sumi unless their parents wanted a lawsuit brought against them. They knew Sumi would get her parents to do it too. She was that vindictive. Tomoe leaned forward to say something to Chihiro, but the teacher walked in. 

"Ohayo class!" 

The teacher began the ususal introduction and overview of what she would be teaching them that year. Chihiro turned her attention to the window, tuning out the teacher's speech. It had been a whole year. She wondered where her friends were and what they were doing. Most of all, she wondered when she would see them again. 

She bit her lip. 'What was taking Kohaku so long?'

***

Two years past...

*Clash!*

*Clang!*

*Splash!*

"Alright, let's call it quits for today." Kohaku smirked and offered his had to help his teacher out of the water. 

"You're getting far too good at this boy." His teacher told him as he sheathed his katana and began wringing the water out of the ends of his shirt. "Either that or I'm getting too old." 

Kohaku sheathed his own katana. "Guess there isn't much more you can teach me." 

Kawa-kami sighed. Kohaku looked at his teacher, slightly confused. "Kawa-kami?"

"Actually that's what I need to talk to you about boy." He led his student over to a log where they both sat down. 

"You know of the council?" Kohaku nodded in response. Every spirit knew of the council, at least to some degree. He had overheard Yubaba talking about them before. 

"I've been considering offering your future to them." 

Kohaku was visibly confused now. "Offering my future?"

"It's entirely your decision of course. But what it means is that you give your life up to them. You're very existence is at their disposal. They could decide for you to work in one of their protection groups, they could give you some other post or... they could decide that you're a danger and sentence you to death." 

Kohaku's eyes grew wide. Spirit death was not a part of life as it was for humans. The death of a spirit meant that they were forever lost from existence. It was said that when a spirit died not even Light herself could bring them back. Because they weren't anymore. 

"But...why would I? ...how?" 

His questions were silenced by a wave of his teacher's hand. "I really don't think that they would do that. But still, I have to warn you." 

Kohaku took a deep breath. Sentenced.... to death? How could they... Why would they.... No. He was getting ahead of himself. They hadn't sentenced him to death, so there was no reason for him to worry about it. In fact they hadn't sentenced him to anything. Chances were that if he went before them he would only be given a minor post, if they even granted him that. But no matter what he would gain a purpose... Not that he didn't enjoy being apprentice to Kawa-kami. It was just that lately he wasn't learning much, just practicing. He felt like it was all pointless. He didn't feel like he was improving anymore. He wanted to feel like he was accomplishing something. A sensation he hadn't felt much in the past months. If he accepted, the worse possible thing that could happen was that he was condemned to death. He knew that world wouldn't care much if he died, and even if he did.....maybe they would grant him one last wish and let him see Chihiro again. But could he do it? Could he risk falling into the nothingness and pain of death just for a purpose?

"Yes." He finally answered his teacher. "I'll do it." 

"Are you sure? This is a huge decision, you should really-"

"Kawa-kami." Kohaku interrupted his teacher. "I've decided. I'll do it."

The old spirit managed a small smile. "Alright then, we'll leave in the morning." 

Kohaku nodded, a strange lump in his throat prevented him from speaking. 

***

Kohaku was decidedly nervous. He was more nervous then he had ever been in his entire life. Kawa-kami had already gone in to ask the council to consider him, leaving his apprentice to wait outside. 

When he had agreed to go before the council, he really hadn't expected to go so soon. Oh sure, he knew that they would leave quickly. Kawa-kami never waited to do anything. What was the point? There was nothing to wait for. But he had not expected to reach the large marble temple so quickly. Nor had he expected Kawa-kami to waltz right into the council room. 

A few spirits passed by and looked at him, confusion written on their faces. Kohaku ignored them. It really didn't matter why they thought he was there and none of them were forward enough to ask. 

The large wooden doors swung open and Kohaku was practically shaking when his teacher emerged and told him that the council wanted to see him. 

"You'll be fine." Kawa-kami reassured him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Kohaku nodded, grateful for the small bit of comfort and took a deep breath before walking into the room. 

The doors shut behind him. Inside, there were five figures sitting in, of all things, overstuffed armchairs arranged in a semi-circle. The figure in the center was a young girl about his age, well, his physical age, with long black hair and pale jade eyes. She was curled up like a cat and speaking quietly with the boy on her left. She could only be Light. The other four figures were males, around the age of sixteen. Kohaku knew that they had to be the elemental guardians. The tallest one had brown hair and was seated on the farthest right wearing a green cloak, he was the earth guardian, Gaven. The red-cloaked figure next to him was shorter and had flaming red hair to match his red cloak. He was easily distinguished as the fire guardian Zepher. The one that the girl was talking to had grey hair and a matching cloak. Kohaku figured by process of elimination that he was Kaz, the wind guardian. The one of the farthest left was Akiro, the water guardian, donning a blue cloak the same shade as his hair. 

Kohaku walked forward uncertainly until he stood before the five. The girl acknowledged him first. 

"Hi," she said. Her cheer and enthusiasm felt out of place, but were also oddly reassuring. "I'm Light. That's Gaven, Zepher, Kaz, and Akiro." She continued, naming the boys from right to left. "You're Kohaku right?"

Kohaku nodded dumbly. He could not believe that one of the most power beings in the entire universe (a) knew his name and (b) was introducing him to her four guardians as if they had all gathered there for afternoon tea instead of deciding his fate. 

"Do you want to sit down?" Light asked, cocking her head slightly to the side. 

He shook his head. She blinked in response and then giggled. Kohaku blinked too, quite surprised. 

"Say something," She said, still giggling, "Anything." 

He swallowed, his throat feeling suddenly dry. He bowed. "I am very honored that you have made the time to consider-" He didn't finish the sentence. Light had broken out with more giggles. If he wasn't mistaken he thought he saw smiles on her guardian's faces as well. 

"You're cute." Light commented when her giggles had subsided. Kohaku was alternatively stunned and embarrassed. That was when the water guardian-Akiro- cleared his throat. Kohaku was incredibly grateful for the interruption and subsequent change of subject. 

Light fidgeted a bit at the gentle reprimand from her guardian. She wrinkled her nose. "Right 'kiro. Business." She turned back to Kohaku. "So, what do you want to do with your life?"

"I really don't know. I guess that's kind of why I'm here." Kohaku answered, rather annoyed that he hadn't thought up a better answer. He did know what he did not want to do with his life, but that hadn't been the question. 

"It doesn't matter to you what you do or where you go?" Light seemed to look a bit sad. 

"I suppose not. I don't have a home or anything like that so I guess it doesn't matter." 

"Hmm," Light responded. "What if the one thing that you want most?" 

Kohaku bit his lip. He did know the answer to this question, but he wasn't sure if he should tell them. He finally sighed. "I want to see Chihiro again." 

Light's eyebrow's shot up. "Chihiro?" 

Kohaku mentally cringed. She had used the same tone that Lin had used when questioning him about Chihiro. Did all girls do that?

"She's the human who gave me back my name. I promised her that we would meet again." 

"Ah-ha." Light said. "Well, thank you very much Kohaku. We're going to deliberate now. I hope you don't mind waiting outside."

Did he mind waiting outside? Please! He would love to wait outside, as long as he was out of the spotlight and no longer being interrogated. But that wasn't what he told them. 

"Of course not. That you very much for your time." Kohaku bowed and left. 

As soon as the wooden doors swung closed, Light began the deliberations. "I think he's in love with her." The four boys groaned. 

"I don't think that's the issue here." Gaven complained. 

"No," Kaz said, "maybe it is." They all turned to look at him. "If he does love her, even if he doesn't know it, it proves that he's not evil. Evil can't truly love." 

"True," Zepher responded, "but his power makes me nervous. To have learned everything that Kawa-kami knows in just two years..." He mock-shuddered. 

"Oh really Zepher? I think he just makes you nervous because he's a river spirit." The others chuckled at Light's comment. 

"He's a lost river spirit though. With that kind of power? He doesn't really owe allegiance to anyone. Kawa-kami maybe. Definitely that Chihiro girl. But without a home he could be easily swayed to any side. It does make me a little nervous." Akiro voiced. 

"Wow, you and Zepher agreeing? That's certainly not something that happens every millennium..."

"-That's because Akiro's afraid he's going to be upstaged as water guardian and as fire guardian, Zepher's generally wary of anything that has to do with water." The others laughed as Akiro hit the wind guardian lightly for his smart-aleck remarks. 

"What do you think Gaven?" Light turned to ask the earth guardian who had been silent most of the discussion. He shook his head. "I have to agree with Kaz. He's a nice kid. I don't think he could be evil." 

Light nodded. They were all quiet for a bit. "Alright sister dear, are you ready to enlighten us all yet?" 

She blushed and shoved Kaz. The other boys chuckled. Kaz whined. "Why is everyone picking on me today?" 

"Really sister, you can read people much better than we can. Tell us what you think." Zepher asked her. 

"I think that he's really a sweet boy, he's just lost. He was so nervous coming in here! He needs to have a home, a purpose. He's enormously powerful but he hasn't realized that yet. He doesn't have the kind of ambition that is fueled by greed and he's loyal to those who show him friendship. But if he comes in contact with the wrong kind of people he could be a threat in the future. Which is why I think we need to get him on our side now." 

"So you're saying...?"

"Yeah. I think we should make him a warrior for the council." 

The others shook their heads. "Alright." Akiro said. 

"We trust you." Zepher agreed. 

"Is that basically a nice way of saying that if this goes wrong, it's all my fault?" 

"Basically." Kaz answered her. Light shoved him again. "Alright, I guess we should call them in." 

"Do you think she loves him back?" Zepher asked Light as they waited for the boy and his teacher to come back into the room. 

"Oh definitely." She said. 

"I don't know if I like how quickly she answered that." Kaz whispered to Akiro, who nodded his agreement. 

***

Chihiro slumped against the tunnel building. She had finally made the decision to try and go back to the spirit world on her own. She had told her parents that she was sleeping over at Tomoe's and packed a bag. She figure that would giver her at least a day to visit with her friends, and then maybe she could think up another lie to let her stay longer. She had arrived late in the afternoon and gone immediately to the bathhouse, but the doors wouldn't open. She had waited, all the way until nightfall, but the lamps were never lit. The spirits never came. She had run to see the river, but it wasn't their either. Only the shallow ravine filled with rocks. She had staggered across it, and over to the tunnel. It was there that she broke down and cried. 

It couldn't have been a dream. She couldn't have dreamt her adventure in the spirit world. Her parents turning into pigs, Kohaku and Kamaji, Lin, Yubaba, the baby and the Yu-bird, Zeniba and No-Face, it couldn't have all been a dream. If it had what happened to those days in August two years ago? Why couldn't she go back? Kohaku had promised....he had promised! Soon she was sobbing. 

"Chihiro?" 

Chihiro's head shot up, her shock temporarily damming her tears. "Tomoe," she whispered. 

"You're parents called and said that you forgot your sleeping bag. Don't worry, I didn't tell them that you weren't at my house. Chihiro, are you okay?" Tomoe asked, kneeling down next to her best friend. 

"Oh Tomoe..." Chihiro hiccupped and began spilling out the whole story. Tomoe listened with wide eyes. 

***

One week later....

Kohaku carefully went over the contents of his bag. There was the change of clothes he had received from Zeniba that had mysteriously grown with him, a knife and a blanket along with his gifts. Each of the five council members had given him a gift when they had christened him their warrior. From the earth guardian he had received a bowl that would fill itself with food so that he would never hunger. The water guardian had given him a similar gift, a chalice that would fill with water so that he would never thirst. The cloak that the wind guardian had given him would never rip or tear and kept out any extreme heat or cold. The fire guardian had given him an orb that could generate a fire no matter where it was placed. Upon receiving it he had glared at Kawa-kami while yelling at the river god for making him learn fire spells that he would now never use. 

The last gift was strapped to his side. The crystalline katana Light had given him would cut through anything. Of course, at first glance, none of the gifts looked like they would hold such awesome power. But few things worthwhile could be gauged at first sight. 

"Are you ready boy?" 

Kohaku turned to face the teacher he would be leaving soon. "I think so." 

Kawa-kami nodded. "I knew you were special boy, but even I never dreamed that you would rise to this." He shook his head in disbelief and then grinned, "A warrior for the council." 

Kohaku ignored his teacher's praise as he finished gathering his things. He still couldn't believe that he was a warrior for the council. It was the position that young spirits dreamed about but never dared to hope for. 

"The first in-"

"-two thousand years." Kohaku finished for him. "I know. I've been told. Repeatedly." 

A stupid grin seemed to have been painted on the river god's face. "Even if you've been told, you obviously haven't listened. You're a warrior for the council! The warrior for the council! This is huge boy!"

Kohaku rolled his eyes. If he didn't know better he would have said his teacher was drunk. "What happened to all those lectures on not getting an ego? What happened to all that?"

"Nothing happened to that. You shouldn't get an ego, but you deserve to be proud boy! You're a warrior for the council!" 

"Right, I'll remember that when I'm traipsing around all over with no purpose or direction." 

"You need a purpose do you? How about the fact that you can't receive a post until you complete you're year of wandering?" 

Kohaku didn't answer as he slung his pack over his shoulders. 

"Ah." Kawa-kami said after a moment of silence. "So maybe finding out how to bring Chihiro back would be better motivation?" 

Kohaku immediately straightened and turned to face his teacher. "But- but you said I wouldn't be ready to even start learning that spell for at least five years! And that was only two years ago." 

Kawa-kami nodded. "That's right. My young apprentice wouldn't be ready to learn such advanced magic until he had completed five years of training. But a warrior for the council, who had completed his year of wandering..." 

He didn't need to finish his sentence; Kohaku had already left. 

***

A/N

Okay, yes I know that I had original characters in there. But they will not be showing up much. I just need to use them once in a while because otherwise things would be very boring and I'd be rewriting the original story. Anyway, would you people please do me a favor and review this time? Please?


	4. Returning

Author's Note

Okay, I've been meaning to get this up and I'm sorry it took so long, unfortunately the next chapter is going to take longer. You might also notice this chapter is a bit short. Again, sorry. 

Now something I'm been meaning to do but never really got around to, thanking the reviewers.  
  


Storm-Maker: Thank you very much, but you really think too much of this story. Really, do you know what kind of comment that is to live up to?

Mika: Well, if bad things didn't happen to him it would be very short and not very interesting. I wish I could tell you things would get better, but, well, then I'd be lying. 

kawaii-chihiro: If you take my keyboard, then I'll still be okay because I draft everything out on note cards in pen first. I'm going to have to tell you the same thing I did Storm- Maker, you really think to much of this story. Don't do it. It's a scary expectation to live up to. 

ear145: Thank you very much, I do try. 

Starkitty: Thank you, I'm find oc's to be necessary not to rewrite Spirited Away

Faraday: Amazing? I like the adjective. Thank you very much!

Melissa: Thanks for the support even though you understand nothing. 

lynnie6: Fan? That's a scary word for me to hear. It means that someone actually cares what i do and is checking on me. I think I like it. Thank you very much!

Ayden Faulcon: You hit on the key words here, "so far" we'll see what happens when the story stops writing itself 

Kurbani: Yeah, I could have had them meet again this chapter, but it was just such a wonderful place to end the chapter....

jia: Soon? Well, sooner than it would have been if Chihiro had to die to see Kohaku again. I promise there are reasons everything took so long (one being I had to get Kohaku set up as warrior for the council). 

Haruko1: Ah! That's scary! I'm so scared that I'm going to start disappointing people. Yes, I think you're right in that I may see Kohaku and Chihiro as slightly different people then they were in the movie. But we didn't really get to know much about Kohaku did we?

anonymous: I'm working on it!

ladyangel: Couldn't be anything as nasty as what I have planned for the characters. 

Rika: Working on the updates, "so far" are the key words for all of the things i write. 

Venus Smurf: Thank you thank you thank you. I've worked very hard on it. 

Kitty: Thank you, I will try very hard to live up to your expectations.   
  


Okay, I'm never putting that off again.   
  


Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away, any of its characters, settings, ideas or concepts. I do own the council, and the general plot of this story.   
  


Time line Note (READ THIS!)

Okay, whenever I've said _____ years past, that's however many years it's been since Chihiro first went to the spirit world. When I said "one week later" that was one week since the last event that I wrote about. Get it? I'm sorry for any confusion this may have caused. 

Now, on with the story.....  
  


Chapter 4: Returning

Three years past...

Chihiro looked out the window at the scenery blurred by the speed of the car. Her arms were folded stubbornly across her chest. She could hear her mother sigh in the front seat. 

"Chihiro, do you have to be like that? We're going on a fun family vacation!"

"Fun? You call going to the most overcrowded city on earth fun? Family? My family wouldn't have been so cruel as to make me go somewhere I don't want to go! As for a vacation? This may be your idea of a vacation but it sure isn't mine!"

"Hey! Don't talk to your mother that way!" Her father growled. Chihiro made a face behind their backs and went back to staring out the window. 

Her parents had decided that it was about time that they took a family vacation. Chihiro had been completely opposed to the idea from the start. She had never been away from home on the anniversary of the day she went to the spirit world and never planned to be either. She figured that when Kohaku did come for her, it would most likely be around the same time that she had first went there. But it had quickly become apparent that there was no question about whether or not they were going. So Chihiro had petitioned for a trip to Kyoto, knowing it was an old city with lots of legends and was closer than Tokyo. And because her parents only mission in life was to make her miserable, they had decided to go to the new capital city. 

Tomoe had seen how devastated Chihiro was and had promised to watch out for the river dragon and anything else odd that could possibly had come from the spirit world. Chihiro had been grateful, but it really wasn't a huge comfort. She did trust Tomoe to keep watch for her. No matter how fantastical her tale of the spirit world was Tomoe was a good friend and if Chihiro believed, then so would she. 

Chihiro sighed and looked out the window, wishing so badly to see the sleek form of a white dragon against the blue sky to take her away from the confines of the car and the horror of a family vacation .

***

Kohaku was grinding his teeth back and forth as he glared at his teacher. This alone was causing the river god to become increasingly nervous. He had seen that glare before. And he had seen what happened to those it was bestowed upon. 

"Boy?" He asked uncertainly, "say something, would you?"

In a few moments he would regret asking the question. Yes, it would have been better to let the river spirit rage at him in his own good time. When the boy spoke, his voice shook with icy fury. 

"I have been waiting three years," Kawa-kami flinched at the tone of his student's voice, "to learn how to fold a piece of paper?!" The origami crane that had been previously sitting on the table between them float up rather violently controlled by Kohaku's magic and settled, hover under the river god's nose. 

"Well..ah....um..." Kawa-kami eyed the paper bird warily, knowing that any moment it could burst into flames, or, judging by how upset his apprentice was, something much worse. Why had he taught him how to blow things up anyway? "Y-you see when you fold the paper you have to invest it with a bit of magic so that it can find who you want it too and then of course pull them back through... it's really not as easy as it sounds...." 

Kohaku simply cocked an eyebrow in response as he took the stack of papers and went outside, light brushing past Zeniba as he went. 

"It doesn't work as well if you fold them by magic!" The old man called at his apprentice's retreating back. 

"I take it you finally told him about the spell?" Zeniba asked the old man as she and No-Face went to put away the batches of wool and cotton they had gotten by the spinning wheel. 

"Uh-huh." Kawa-kami answer, his attention focused on the crane that was now flying around his head in circles. It finally alighted on top of his head and settled down. The river god heaved a sigh of relief. It was then that the paper bird imploded, spewing yellow-green liquid that ran down the old man's face.

"Oh," Zeniba chuckled, "I see it didn't go well." 

The river god raised a hand to wipe off some of the gunk. "Yuck! It's creamed broccoli! Curse that boy! He knows I hate broccoli! Who in their right mind would teach him how to conjure broccoli?" 

Zeniba laughed and outside Kohaku smiled as he sent the first crane off to find Chihiro. 

***

Four years past...

"No!"

"You don't really have a choice boy.' 

"But I've been working on controlling the separatists for the past year and now the council is telling me to go and sit idle at that accursed bathhouse? Why?"

"It's because of the work you've done that the separatist movement has been controlled. You've succeeded and now you're being rewarded with an easier post." 

"But I don't want an easier post. I want to know that I'm actually doing something!"

"You will be doing something. You really think Yubaba will let you stay there without doing any work?"

"I mean doing something that is beneficial to someone other than Yubaba!" 

"Calm down boy! You know the council doesn't do anything without reason." 

Kohaku sighed. "I know, I just wished they didn't always keep those reasons to themselves." 

***

Five Years Past...

"Hey! Chihiro!" Chihiro turned. 

"Hi Joe." She greeted him. The two fell in step as they continued walking home from their last day of school, at least, for a month. 

"So what do you think of the guy who's gonna be our teacher?" 

Chihiro shrugged. Their new teacher had come over and introduced himself before they all left for August break. He seemed nice and all, but he also didn't seem much different from their old teacher. Not that it really mattered to her. Oh, it wasn't that she didn't try in school, with her parents nagging her about it constantly how could she not? It was just that she was an average student. She never did spectacular on anything, her projects would never be used as examples, she would never get a perfect score on a math test, and none of her papers would ever come back without a few red marks on them. Chihiro had come to accept this. 

"He's okay I guess." 

The came to Joe's house and Chihiro waved to him. "I guess I'll see you later." 

"Yeah, um, Chihiro wait a minute." He grabbed her wrist and she turned to face him. 

"What is it Joe?"

"Umm... well...uh... I was wondering..." He was scuffing his shoes on the pavement and still hadn't let go of her wrist. Chihiro wondered why he was acting so nervous. What could he possibly have to say to her that would cause him to act like this?

"Would you like to go to a movie?" He asked, finally managing to make eye contact. 

Chihiro pulled her wrist back. "Sure. Is that all? I'll call Tomoe and we can all go."

"No, I mean just you and me...like...like a date?" Joe had turned completely red. Chihiro was standing shock still. For a moment all she could do was blink. 

"Joe." She finally got out. 

"Yes?" His blush had subsided and now he was looking a bit hopeful. 

"I don't... I mean.... You're a nice guy and all. But you're my friend! I can't go out with you." 

"Oh." Joe answered, failing miserably in his effort to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Why not?" 

Chihiro's mouth opened and closed a few times before anything came out. "B-because you're my friend. It would just be way too weird." 

For a moment there was an awkward silence between the two. "I'll see you then?" Joe shoved his hands in his pockets. 

"Yeah." Chihiro answered and quickly pivoted to walk to her own house as Joe walked up to his. As soon as she got in the door she threw her bags to the side, kicked her shoes off (making a dent in the wall her mother would be none too happy about), and raced up to her room. She knew her parents were out playing tennis and she had to call Tomoe. 

She flopped onto her bed and reached for the phone. For Christmas last year her parents had given her her own phone line because they were tired of her tying up the main line gabbing with Tomoe. She pressed the speed dial and after two rings Tomoe picked up. 

"Hello?" 

"Tomoe, Joe just asked me out." There was no need to identify herself to her best friend of five years. Especially not when she had news this important. 

"Really? What did you say?" 

"I told him no! It would be way too weird. Joe's just my friend and my next-door neighbor."

"Chihiro... are you sure that's why you said no?" 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... do you think you might have said no because of Kohaku?"

For a moment Chihiro scrambled for an answer. She had never really thought about Kohaku as a boyfriend. When she was ten-years old she had been naive enough not to know to think about boys that way. Kohaku had been her best friend. In some ways he was still her best friend. 

"What does Kohaku have to do with me dating?" When in doubt, play dumb.

Tomoe sighed. "I don't mean it like that. I mean, are you sure you're not chasing after a dream?"

Chihiro felt a little numb. "Are you....are you saying that you-you don't believe me?" 

"Of course not! Chihiro, you know that I'll always believe you. I'm just saying that, well, it's been five years. Do you even know if he can come back?" 

Chihiro hadn't heard the question. Something had flitted through her window. It looked like a paper crane. But Chihiro was pretty sure that paper cranes couldn't fly through the air by themselves. 

"Tomoe, I'm going to have to call you back." Chihiro hung up the phone, not hearing Tomoe's muted response. 

The paper crane circled the room a couple of times before it settled on Chihiro's head. The paper bird seemed to peck at the purple hair tie Chihiro still wore. Then as if it had recognized something the paper bird alighted and glided out the door. 

Chihiro immediately followed it. That paper crane had to be being controlled by magic, and that meant that it had probably come from the spirit world. Down the stairs, through the hall, Chihiro took a split second to tug on her shoes before following out the front door. The paper bird went around to the back of her house and then down the steep hill that was her backyard. Chihiro followed a much slower pace. She had long since learned that running down any form of steep incline (stairs, for instance) would result in a very painful smack at the end. The crane waited for her, hovering in place. When Chihiro caught up, the bird resumed its journey along the winding dirt path through the forest. Along the way they passed by a grouping of little stone houses on the side of the road. Chihiro paused a moment. 

"The spirit houses." She whispered to herself. She looked ahead at the small white figure of the paper crane that continued to float along a few feet above the dirt road. Her heartbeat sped up. Could they be...? Were they...?

She took off after the paper crane as fast as she could. Was the paper bird some kind of guide sent from the spirit world, from Kohaku? 

She kept her eyes on her "guide" as she ran. Her feet pounded on the road but it felt like she never moved. Finally, the crane stopped and hovered. Chihiro stopped too and leaned heavily on a nearby rock, panting. When she finally caught her breathe she looked up and saw the tunnel. She turned and saw that the rock she was leaning on was the creepy stature that had scared her into following her parents into the tunnel so many years ago. 

She swallowed. 

"Please," she pleaded, "please let me go back." 

The paper crane turned and floated, much more slowly this time, through the tunnel. Chihiro followed silently praying that this time she would be able to go through and at the same time trying not to get her hopes up too high in case they all came crashing down. 

They emerged from the tunnel a few moments later. Chihiro was practically shaking as she continued to follow the small paper bird across the dry river bed, but as soon as she was across, the crane floated back to hover above the rocks. 

Chihiro just stared at it, wondering if she should follow and stand on the rocks under it. A few minutes later the crane had yet to move, so Chihiro decided maybe she was suppose to stand in the river bed and moved forward to do so, but as she did the paper crane seemed to implode, sending out a brilliant light. For a moment the air seemed to shimmer, like the ocean did when hit by the sunlight. Then it all stopped. A piece of the crane that had survived the explosion fluttered down into Chihiro's open palm. 

One the piece of paper were two words, written in sparkling black ink. 

"Welcome Back." 

***

"Next week! Believe me, next week I'll beat that-"

"Of course you will dear." Chihiro's mother set her keys on the kitchen counter. "Chihiro!" she called. Her husband was still muttering death threats under his breathe as he put away their rackets. She waited a moment but there was no response from her teenage daughter. 

"Chihiro?" she called again as she made her was up the stairs and into Chihiro's room. 

"Oh!" She gasped as she looked inside the room. There were paper cranes everywhere. And they weren't just sitting on the desk, the bed, and the floor. No, they were hovering five feet in the air and flying back and forth. Chihiro's mother stepped forward into the room, but stopped abruptly as all of the paper birds turned to 'look' at her. 

"Honey..." she called to her husband, tone surprisingly calm despite the situation, "I think you need to come up here!"

"What is- oh my-"

For a moment, the paper cranes and the two adults just stared at each other. Then, slowly, the birds began to rise and fly over to the doorway. The couple stared at the cranes in amazement, then stared at each other. 

"D-do you think we should?" Chihiro's mother asked, clutching at her husband. He nodded in response and they followed the paper cranes out of their daughter's room, down the stairs, and out of the house. 

A/N

Review.....please....


	5. Reuniting

Author's Note

Okay, with school and everything else I'm putting out another chapter because writing is the only thing that keeps me sane anymore. And because I'm forcing my friend and my little sister to read this, which they fortunately like and then get on my butt about typing. So, uh, yeah....

  
  


Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away

  
  


To the reviewers-

ladyangel ~ Yes, they meet up this chapter in fact. What did Kohaku do during his wandering year? Hmm... I'm starting to spell this answer S-E-Q-U-E-L 

StarKitty ~ Wow, thank you! Do you know how many times I've heard that people will be patient and wait for a chapter? Counting you, it's one. But really, it's wonderful to know that if I take awhile people won't stop reading.

Pen D. Fox ~ Thank you, Thank you. Getting reviews like that are almost as good as winning an academy award(not that I ever have...) 

ginnygal189 ~ Thanks, it's so nice of you to keep reading even though you don't understand anything!

jia ~ no, her parents aren't going to turn into pigs again. I've got better plans for them. Ones that won't have you feeling sorry for them for much longer...

  
  


Chapter 5: Reuniting 

  
  


Lin sighed, the whole bathhouse had been in uproar for the past twenty-four hours, ever since they had gotten word that the warrior for the council and his entourage would be coming to stay at their bathhouse. So naturally the finest food had to be prepared, everything had to be scrubbed, and everyone dressed up and rushed outside to meet their guest. 

Lin honestly thought the whole thing a bit ridiculous. The council warrior had only been appointed two years ago. No one even knew who he was, his name, where he came from, anything. Still, she knew why they were going to so much trouble. The bathhouse had never quite gotten over the debt they had incurred in the No-Face disaster, and with Haku leaving so quickly, things had just gone straight downhill. A visit from a spirit as powerful as the warrior for the council could really turn things around for all of them. If the rumors were true, the council had granted their warrior his very own gold sprite. 

A whisper went through the crowd and everyone straightened, some held their breathe. Their guest had arrived. 

***

Kawa-kami could have laughed at his young apprentice's expression. That is, if he had been in the mood to be tortured. But just then he wasn't up to it. Kohaku, warrior for the council, highest ranking and most powerful spirit in all of spirit world (although he didn't know that), was pouting, just as a petulant child would. The boy had been complaining about going back ever since he had received the word from the council. Personally, Kawa-kami could not see what was so bad about making a visit to a bathhouse. He knew that his apprentice had been forced to work in the Aburaya even when he had held the status, even as a lost spirit, to be a guest. 

They were coming up to the bathhouse, he would have been able to tell even if he had no clue where it was and they were flying through a cloud. Kohaku was fighting the wind (that had actually been going their way for once) for the sole purpose of being able to go slower. 

"Stop that boy." He chided the young warrior, "you're not flying to your death." 

They came upon the bathhouse. It was easy to distinguish the many workers standing outside from the normal landscape. For one, there were over a hundred of them, and secondly, they were all in uniform. 

"Wanna bet?" His apprentice muttered under his breathe as they began their decent. 

***

Kohaku was not happy to be back at the bathhouse. Indeed, "happy" was probably one of the least appropriate words that could have been used to describe his mood, right there with "merry" and "gleeful."

He had never really planned on going back since he had become the warrior for the council. It would have been far too uncomfortable. But Light had given him orders and he would follow them. Besides, if he was lucky he'd only have to be there a few days. 

For the sake of his sanity, he decided to momentarily forget the fact that he was never lucky. 

Why was he unlucky? Well, let's take the current example. At the moment he was standing in front of Yubaba and the entire bathhouse staff with Kawa-kami. And Yubaba was glaring daggers at him. And he still had blood on his shirt because he had forgotten he had gotten hurt and thus forgotten to wash the shirt. 

No, luck must have been upset with him for some reason or another. She was a very fickle person. 

A rather twisted smile made its way onto Yubaba's face. 

Yep, luck was definitely, definitely mad at him. Maybe he should send her fruit or something as a peace offering....

"Well well, what do we have here? If it isn't Haku. My, my, a member of the council warrior's entourage. You're certainly licking slime off more powerful boots these days." 

Kohaku turned to Kawa-kami and cocked an eyebrow, ignoring Yubaba's rude comments. Since where did he have an 'entourage'? 

"Where is he?" Yubaba had turned on Kawa-kami. 

"Who?" Kawa-kami was confused. 

"The warrior for the council!" Yubaba spat. Kohaku was a bit surprised at Yubaba's attitude towards the river god. Normally she would be more hospitable to a prospective guest, but he supposed she thought she had bigger fish to fry. 

"Why he's-" Kohaku shot a glare at his teacher. There was no reason Yubaba need be told he was the warrior for the council. In fact, until he knew what his mission was, he'd prefer she didn't. 

"He's coming." Kawa-kami finished. Kohaku gave a small nod. Much better. They could all wait outside all night for all he cared. 

Yubaba cast him a suspicious glare. "Fine." She finally snapped. "Haku, I"m sure you can find your old room. The two of you can stay there." 

Kohaku nodded and led Kawa-kami through the crowd and up through the bathhouse, ignoring the stares and whispered that followed in their wake. 

***

Chihiro walked slowly, savoring each step she took back in the spirit world. Part of her still couldn't believe that she was there. But she could smell the delicious scent of the spirit's food, and the bathhouse loomed ahead. There was no denying that she was there. Although she had pinched herself several times, just to make sure. 

She was headed toward the boiler room to see Kamaji. The sun would be setting soon and she wanted to be inside the bathhouse by then. Even if she knew they wouldn't harm her, the shadow-like spirts that floated around were still creepy. 

She quickened her pace and reached the bridged shortly. The sun was now only the smallest sliver on the horizon line, and someone had come out to light the lamps. Chihiro took a deep breath and held it as she crossed the bridge. She had no clue if it would be at all effective in keeping her from being seen since she wasn't with Kohaku, but she did it anyway out of tradition more than anything else. 

She moved across the bridge through the gate and into the garden then continued through the back. Down the stairs, much slower then the first time that she had used them and without any screaming or slamming into walls. The sun had hidden completely and night had taken its place. Chihiro was practically trembling with excitement as she twisted the doorknob to the boiler room. 

He steps echoed as she walked. She wondered if the old spider spirit could hear them. She slowly turned the corner. Kamaji was there, mixing up the herbs for the baths while the enchanted soot balls dumped coal into the fire. 

"Kamaji!" Chihiro could barely contain her glee as she ran forward to greet the old man. 

"Eh?" Kamaji turned to look at her. "Chihiro?"

She nodded and the old man leapt down and gave her a hug that she returned. 

"You're finally back." His mustache tickled her as he spoke. "I'm happy to be back." she answered. 

Kamaji moved to hold her out at arms length. "It's a good thing that you're here. Lots of things have been happening around here since you left. As a matter of fact..." 

"Kamaji! What have I told you about leaving your bowl out?"

The spider spirit patted Chihiro's hand gently. "We'll talk later." 

He walked over and took his dinner from Lin, who "humphed" and began feeding the soot balls. 

Chihiro bit her lip and resisted a giggle. There was really nothing very funny. She was just ridiculously giddy about being back and seeing her friends. It was like she had never left. 

"Hey Lin." 

"Sen!" The basket went flying as Lin moved to embrace the younger girl. 

"Look at you!" Lin exclaimed pushing Chihiro back, "You've gotten taller. You're not such a little kid anymore huh?"

"Nope." Chihiro shook her head.

Lin sighed. "I always forget how fast humans grow." 

"You'd better take her to see Kohaku." Said Kamaji, polishing off his rice. 

Lin, surprisingly, did not argue and instead nodded. She grabbed Chihiro's hand and tugged on it slightly. "C'mon." 

"Okay, okay." Chihiro kicked off her shoes and followed. "Bye Kamaji!" She called as she ducked after Lin through the small service door. 

The two girls boarded the first of the elevators that they would have to ride. 

"Sen I still can't believe you're here! Kohaku's been sending off those paper bird things but I never thought you'd actually get them. Oh hey, that's right! You don't know about Haku do you? He goes by Kohaku now. I think it has something to do with him being warrior for the council." 

"The what?" Chihiro interrupted. 

"The council. They're...oh, I don't know how to explain it all to a human. Ask Kohaku or somebody later, they can probably explain it much better than I can." 

The conversation lulled as they exited the elevator and walked out into the main room and over to the next elevator. Chihiro felt slightly self conscious in front of all the spirits wearing her school uniform. She looked down at her feat as she walked and out of nervous habit tugged on her skirt. Her translucent skirt. 

"Lin," she tugged on the other girl's sleeve. 

"Sen, what is it? ....Oh..." Lin slammed down the elevator lever. "Kohaku will be able to fix this. And even if he can't Kawa-kami can." 

"Kawa-kami?" Chihiro asked, not in the state of panic Lin was in over her disappearing. It wasn't so bad when you had been through it before.

"The river god. Kohaku's his apprentice, or was his apprentice. I don't know anymore. Actually he's the same river god that you attended to the last time you were here. Remember the guy we all thought was a stink spirit? That's him." 

Lin was tapping her toe, clearly much more anxious then she was letting on to the much less worried Chihiro. 

The elevator dinged and Lin moved to grab Chihiro's wrist, but her hand went through it. For a moment her features were frozen in shock, but it was interrupted by a booming noise that shook the bathhouse itself. 

While the noise seemed to calm Lin, it greatly startled Chihiro. "What was that?" She whispered, a sense of urgency and fear in her tone. 

"That was Kohaku." Lin answered calmly, breezing through the winding hallways. Chihiro looked at her skeptically. Lin shrugged. "He's working on the books. Yubaba may be an excellent businesswomen, but she keeps horrible records. Believe me, I've seen some of the stuff. She rarely writes anything in and what she does write it about as legible as chicken scratch. Anyway, after Kohaku came back and refused to go out spying for her anymore she stuck him with the job of cleaning up the record books. I was worried that he had given up on them and gone out flying for a while. But that proves that he's definitely still here." 

"Oh." Chihiro responded. Then came to a door set in the side of the hallway. Lin stopped there and knocked. She waited a moment, but there was no answer. 

"Come on dragon boy open the door!" 

There was a pause, then:

"Lin! What have I told you about bothering me while I'm banging my head against the wall?" 

Lin looked at Chihiro and rolled her eyes. "I've got good news!"

"That's a switch." 

"What did you just say?"

"Did you finally find the complete legible records Yubaba's hiding from me?"

"No, better!"

"Ai is leaving for good?"

"I wish! Just open up the stupid door!"

"I'm busy! You open up the stupid door!"

"Fine I will!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Chihiro was somewhere in between shock and amusement. She certainly hadn't expected to come back and hear Kohaku and Lin squabbling like siblings. 

Lin opened the door, her annoyance clearly written on her face. Kohaku was inside, bent over a desk, his head cradled in one hand as he glared at the papers on the desk. He seemed very determined to ignore Lin. Seeing her attitude at that moment Chihiro couldn't blame him. 

She studied the boy she'd left so long ago. To her eyes he hadn't changed much. Sure he was taller, he looked a bit older and his clothes were different, but for the most part he was exactly as Chihiro remembered him. 

"What did you break this time?" Lin scolded him, her hands on her hips. 

". . ."

"The vase?!" Lin screeched. "You broke the vase?! Kohaku! I can't believe you! That was a present from a very high-ranking forest lord. I can't believe you broke it! Warrior for the council or not you-"

"Hey! I-" Kohaku had now risen from his chair and finally looked up, his mouth was open and he seemed prepared to really get into it with Lin, but stopped when he saw Chihiro. For a moment, they just looked at each other, disbelief running through them at the realization that the moment they'd been waiting for for years. 

Then reality slid back into place as Lin cleared her throat. Kohaku seemed to get the message as he rounded the desk and walked over to stand face-to-face with Chihiro. He held out a small red berry, identical to the one that he had given her the first time she had arrived in the spirit world. She opened her mouth, not wanting to risk the berry falling through her fast disappearing hands. At least, that was the excuse she used. If Kohaku objected to the silent request or thought it was odd in any way he showed no sign of it. He set the berry in her mouth and Chihiro just rolled it around in her mouth, remembering the bitter taste, but she knew that Lin and Kohaku were waiting for her to become visible. She finally bit down on the berry and let the sour juice invade her mouth. She finished chewing and forced down the berry, but couldn't help making a face as she did so. It was worth it though, because only seconds later she was solid again. 

"Thank you," Chihiro whispered, "for keeping your promise." 

"I would have come to visit you, but it just wasn't possible." 

"I know, Lin told me that you've been busy." Kohaku shrugged in response and Lin quietly slid out of the room before either of the two remembered she was there. This way she could eavesdrop with less chance of getting caught. 

Chihiro bit her lip. She wanted so badly to just hug Kohaku and quit feeling so awkward. She had hugged Kamaji and Lin without a second thought. Why was she having such trouble greeting the person she had wanted to see most? 

"I missed you." She blurted out. She could feel herself beginning to blush. She mentally hit herself. Why was she acting so weird? It was just Kohaku! 

He smiled and she could feel herself relax a bit. "I missed you as well." 

Chihiro smiled in returned and moved forward tentatively. She shyly wrapped her arms around him giving him a hug. He hugged her back, wrapping his arms more securely around her and gently moved to touch her forehead to his. At that moment the tension between them broke and it was as if the two had only said good-bye yesterday. Chihiro felt completely safe there, safe and comfortable and warm. Her perfect world, however, was rudely interrupted by a knock at the door. Kohaku sighed and drew away from her slowly. 

"What is it Lin?" He called. 

"How'd you know it was me?" 

Kohaku walked over and opened the door. "How did I know it was you? Simple. It's always you Lin. No one else is rude enough to bother me."

Chihiro managed to smile a bit as she wrapped her arms around herself. She felt strangely cold. 

"What do you mean rude? I'm the only one who dares come up here!"

"Why are you here Lin?"

Lin's attitude quickly changed. "We've got trouble."

Kohaku's eyes narrowed. "Elaborate."

Lin bit her lip and glanced briefly towards Chihiro, the looked back at Kohaku. There was a pause as she waited for him to speak and he waited for her to. 

Lin gave in. "There are two humans outside. Two adult humans." 

***

"But there shouldn't be any humans here, much less adults. What happened to the -oh."

Kohaku visibly cringed and Lin nodded. He could not believe what an idiot he'd been. 

"Uh... Sen.... How many cranes did you get?"

There was still a small, almost minuscule chance that this wasn't his fault. It was tiny, but it was there. 

"Just one, why?"

Remember that teeny chance he'd had? Forget it. This was all his fault. 

Realization dawned on Chihiro. "Ohh..... my parents?" She turned to Kohaku. He nodded grimly in response. 

"We have to got help them! I don't want them to be turned into pigs again." The fear in her voice made Kohaku feel horribly guilty. Even more so than he had before. 

"Of course we're going to help them. Don't worry. There's no way I'm going to let Yubaba play a trick like that again." He did his best to give her a comforting smile and she managed to smile weakly in return. 

He took her hand in his. "C'mon. Let's go."

Chihiro looked up at him and nodded. And then found that they were already floating a few feet in the air. A split second later they had flown out the open window and down towards the streets below. 

Lin sighed, and called after him in exasperation. "Kohaku! Why can't you use the stairs like everyone else?"

***

Chihiro held on tightly to Kohaku's hand as they flew down and around the bathhouse from Kohaku's apartment to the streets below. She knew that he wouldn't let her fall, but it was still a bit unnerving flying a few hundred feet in the air with only the small comfort of someone's hand holding keeping you from falling into the ocean below. Kohaku must have noticed her apprehension because he promptly apologized. 

"I'm sorry, but we need to get to them as soon as possible and frankly I think they'll be freaked out enough without having to see their daughter flying with a dragon." 

Chihiro nodded in response. She had no clue if he could see her, but with all the wind she doubted very much if he would have been able to hear her either, if she could have even gotten the words out. 

As they got closer Chihiro could make out two humanoid figures that had to me her parents looking quite disturbed, surrounded by spirits that would occasionally poke or prod at them. Chihiro felt a wave of sympathy overcome her as she watched them. She could remember being that confused and scared when they had been turned into pigs. 

They dropped down lightly from the sky and Chihiro ran to her parents and allowed them to hug her, knowing that they needed it more than she did, while Kohaku dismissed the other spirits to go about their business. All of the spirits immediately backed off, some bowing to him as they did so. 

Once the spirits were an acceptable distance away, Chihiro quickly untangled herself form her parents arms. "Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?"

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here? And who is this?" Her father gestured to Kohaku. Apparently now that he no longer had to frightened he was going to be angry.

"Kohaku's a friend who's going to help get you back home." Chihiro tried to reassure her parents. 

"But-what- where are we?" her mother asked. 

"You know mom, I really don't think that this is the best place to discuss that. Why don't you both follow me and I'll explain everything."

Her parents seemed hesitant, but nodded. Chihiro breathed a silent sight of relief and went to take both of her parents hands, but, well...

"Ah!" Her mother shrieked. 

"Ah!" Her father shouted in agreement as he looked down at himself. They were both steadily disappearing. Chihiro had sincerely hoped they wouldn't notice and that Kohaku could slip her the antidote to slip to her parents. But now that her hands had gone through theirs that was no longer a possibility. 

Chihiro looked over to Kohaku, silently pleading with him to help her control her freaked-out parents. 

He gave her a small smile and walked up to her parents. He held out his hand with two of the red berries resting on his palm. 

"Here," he offered them to Chihiro's parents, "they'll keep you from disappearing." 

They looked at the berries warily. 

"Go ahead," Chihiro encouraged them. "They'll keep you from disappearing." 

Still a bit hesitant her parents accepted the berries, placed them in their mouths, chewed and swallowed. 

"There." Chihiro announced once her parents were solid again. "Now, follow me to the bathhouse and I'll explain everything once we get there." 

Her parents, now recognizing that their daughter knew more about what was going on then they did, at least for the time being, nodded and followed obediently. 

Chihiro moaned inwardly as they walked. This was most certainly not how she had imagined her return to the spirit world. 


	6. The Parental Curse

Author's Notes  
  


Sorry about updates. Buried in sea of homework. Trying very hard. But still don't expect anything until late December. Sorry.   
  


Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away.  
  


To the Reviewers:  
  


Kurbani - Stick around, I'm not finished yet.  
  


jia - Thank you, I try to make the chapters at least five pages, but sometimes that doesn't happen.   
  


rogue solus - Tomorrow? In my dreams maybe...

Cute Anime Kitty - Thank you! I love putting those parts in there and I'm glad someone found them amusing. 

Mitsuko Maxwell - Thank you. Chihiro's 15. And if you're parents would actually be calm and let you stay if you were in Chihiro's position, you're extremely lucky. As for being a freshman... well, if it makes you feel any better, writing is the only thing I do remotely well. But I love my honors classes and wouldn't give them up for the world. 

ladyangel - Thank you, if I ever get the time i will write a sequel because now that I've got the idea in my head i really want to, but i suppose i should finish this story first...

Kitty - I have to stop at the good parts because if I stopped at the bad parts then no one would read the next chapter when I updated. Thanks for your review. 

moezy-chan - Thank you, description can either be good and add a lot, or be cumbersome and annoying. I hope I can manage to do the former. 

Chapter 6: The Parental Curse  
  


Kohaku moved silently through the halls, not because he was trying to be quiet, it was simply something he did instinctively. A habit that sometimes made people think that he appeared out of nowhere. 

He had escorted Chihiro and her parents to a spare room for the to explain to them. The room was actually the one where Kawa-kami always stayed, but for the time being the river god was out on business. He was due back the next evening but Chihiro's parents would be gone before them. He could not believe he had been so stupid! The paper cranes had been an invitation to Chihiro, but naturally he hadn't been able to fine tune the spell enough to track her specifically without an object belonging to her and since she had left nothing behind from her first stay he'd had to work off echoes. Those echoes were vague enough that they had accepted Chihiro's parents as suitable receivers. Well, it couldn't be helped now. But Kawa-kami was so going to get an earful about it when he got back. Right now, he had to find Lin and tell her to take Chihiro back to her room after she was done talking to her parents. 

Now, while Kohaku was moving like a shadow through the night, that didn't help when Ai spotted him. 

"Oh Kohaku-darling!" 

At the sound of the call, 'Kohaku-darling' promptly cringed, but he obediently turned around. 

"Ai." He greeted the girl, who then made a rather annoying giggling noise. 

"Oh Kohaku-dear, I was just wondering, well, you see I've been hearing these nasty rumors about humans wandering around here and, well, I thought That you would know since you know everything that goes on around here." 

Ai batted her eyelashes. Kohaku used all his self-control not to gag. 

"No, I'm sure that I've heard nothing of the sort." 

Ai giggled and clapped her hands in exaggerated happiness. "Oh good! You know I was a bit worried. Daddy's not particularly fond of humans, I know that he wouldn't be very happy to find one staying here." 

The edge of the threat in her tone wasn't lost on the river spirit. 

"Thank you so much darling. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Have sweet dreams about me, 'kay?" Ai giggled and skipped off, humming to herself. 

Kohaku couldn't help rolling his eyes this time as he continued his search for Lin. 

***

Chihiro was quiet as Lin fumed as she search for a proper sized uniform for Chihiro. There was no doubt in her mind that Lin was mad. At who or for what reason she could only guess. 

"I can't believe her...oh... that.... that..." Lin mumbled something under her breath as she rummaged through the uniforms, not taking any care to prevent any of them from ripping. 

"Here." she finally threw the pink uniform at Chihiro. 

"Um, Lin?" Chihiro asked. 

"What?" Lin snapped in return. 

"A-are you alright?" She responded hesitantly. It had been very tempting to answer 'never mind', but her curiosity won out over her common sense. 

Lin sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just ran into Ai on my way to get you and she just gets on my last nerve." 

Chihiro frowned in confusion. "Who's Ai? I heard Kohaku mention her before too." 

"Ai is the most self centered, arrogant, bratty little witch in this or any other world!" Lin plopped down next to Chihiro. "After you left so did Kohaku. Most of us think that's why it happened. The bathhouse was basically in big money trouble and the council wasn't going to give us a grant. So Yubaba goes and gets a loan from this mountain spirit so that she can keep the place running. It worked too, and after a while she stared paying him back, but not quickly enough for him. Or at least, that's the official reason. You see, this particular mountain spirit Yubaba borrowed money from was thought to a member of the separatist movement, but nothing was ever proven or anything. Kohaku had been working against the separatist movement for the council and after they got it under control they sent him here. Under his protest as he will tell you. But shortly after he came here a year ago, the mountain spirit sends his "daughter" Ai, a spring spirit, over here claiming something about wanting to protect his investment. She's been drooling over Kohaku and making our lives miserable ever since." 

Chihiro squirmed a bit, the whole explanation Lin had just given her made her a bit uncomfortable for a reason that she couldn't quite put her finger on. 

And who were the separatists?

"She's really that bad?" 

"No, she's not that bad, she's worse!"

The conversation ended there. 

***

Chihiro's parents moaned as the sunlight filtered into their room. Slowly, they blinked and opened their eyes. 

"Honey, what time is it?" Chihiro's mother sat up and rubbed her eyes. 

Her husband mumbled something incomprehensible as he rolled over and curled up to go back to sleep. 

"Good morning!" Chihiro chirped happily as she slid open the door to her parent's room. "Oh it's too early in the morning for it to be any good Chihiro." Her father moaned. 

"C'mon! Kohaku's going to send you guys home!" That got their attention. 

"Home? What do you..." Her mother looked around the room slowly, realization dawning on her face. 

"Oh god." The color drained from her face as she shoo/k her husband silently. He groaned, but rose and slowly, he too realized where they were. 

"I thought this was all just a bad dream." He moaned. 

"Nope. I told you the whole story last night, remember?" Chihiro was in a much better mood than her parents. Not only had she woken up to discover that she really was back in the spirit world, but Kohaku had told her that her parents could leave that morning. She knew it would be best if her parents went back home, then she would be able to enjoy her vacation. She would have let her parents stay... but after last night, when her parents had stared at her in wide-eyed disbelief, she had decided it wasn't such a good idea. 

"Chihiro, dear, what are you wearing?" Her mother asked. Chihiro blinked. Only her mother...

She wearing the pink uniform of the Aburaya. Her school uniform really didn't fit in well around here. It would be a bit presumptuous to wear it when she asked Yubaba for a job, but Lin had answered that Yubaba could use all the help she could get these days and that it wouldn't matter either way. 

"It's nothing mom, don't worry about it. C'mon! We've got to get going before everyone else wakes up!" 

Her parents grudgingly untangled themselves from the blankets they had been given the night before and rose to follow their daughter out of the room. They followed her through the winding halls, down the stairs, through the empty boiler room (Kamaji had been kind enough to leave so her parents wouldn't freak out again) then outside and up the stairs where they met Kohaku by the bridge. 

Chihiro smiled when she saw him and he smiled in return. After her parents disbelief and arguments and Lin's anger at Ai, she was happy to see a friendly face. She didn't think anything of the exchange, but her parents cast a suspicious glance at the two of them, well, mostly at Kohaku. The four walked in silence, Kohaku and Chihiro leading the small group through the deserted town in the cool morning. Their footsteps echoed almost eerily on the cobblestones. As she walked Chihiro wondered if Kohaku would have time to take her to go see Zeniba, and if Yubaba would let her anywhere near Boh. She wondered if Ai would really be as big a pain to her as she was to Lin, what Kawa-kami would be like, which guests she would be attending and whether she would have time to go talk to Kamaji. The promise of her vacation hung in the air like the morning dew. It stared at her, mocking in its perch, for she couldn't touch it until her parents left, but it was so close she could almost taste it, imagine it sliding down her throat. Realizing they were coming to the field, Chihiro took her head down out of the clouds. First she had to get her parents home. And before she could get her parents home, she had to tell them she wasn't coming with. 

Kohaku stopped first; Chihiro knew he couldn't go any farther so she stopped as well. Now came the hard part. Chihiro attempted to look as cheerful as possible as she turned back to face her parents. 

"Are you ready to go back?" They nodded fervently. 

"Okay, well, I'm going to miss you guys! I promise that I'll be back home in a few weeks-"

"A few weeks?" Her father yelled. "Chihiro, what do you mean a few weeks?" 

Chihiro could tell her father was trying to keep from exploding. Considering his temper he was really doing quite well. 

"What I mean is that I'm going to be staying here." Each word was spoke hesitantly, since each could bring down a reign of chaos. 

"Oh no you're not. You're coming home with us young lady." Her mother commanded. 

"But mom I just got here! I've been waiting for five years to come back and visit my friends!"

"I don't care! This place is dangerous. People turning into pigs, giant babies, river spirits!" Kohaku shifted back and forth a little uncomfortably. Chihiro obviously hadn't yet revealed to her parents that he was a river spirit (explaining why they weren't running away from him) but at the moment, he felt like it was written on his forehead.

"I'm not going back."

"Oh yes you are!" Chihiro's father finally got back in on the argument. Chihiro was now somewhere in between screaming and crying.

"I'm not going and you can't make me!" She stomped her feat and crossed her arms. Childish, but at the moment it was the only argument the frustrated fifteen year old could muster. 

Her father glared at her. Chihiro could almost see the air shimmer as he breathed in and out, as if any moment fire would spout from his mouth. Thankfully he wasn't Yubaba or else that would have already happened. 

"You are my daughter and you will do as I say!" His voice shook with intense anger. Chihiro backed up a bit towards Kohaku. Her father was scary when he was mad, and she had never seen him this mad before. 

"No daddy. I'm sorry but I'm staying." Her voice was meek and quiet, on her face an expression of respectful fear. But her words were firm. 

Then the oddest thing happened. Her father stopped turning red, his breathing evened out, and his glaring ceased. For a brief moment Chihiro thought that her parents had decided to do the sensible thing and go home and wait for her and that everything would be alright, but of course, it was quickly shattered. 

"All right Chihiro, if you won't come with us, we'll stay here with you." 

Chihiro and her mother gasped together, neither believed the proclamation that had just been made. 

"What?" Chihiro found her voice first but was immediately drown out by her mother. 

"Stay here? Stay here?! Dear, think about what you're saying!" 

"I mean it! If our stubborn daughter won't come with us, we'll stay here with her." 

Chihiro was agape at her parents. Her mother still looked rather unconvinced and her father seemed a bit shaky in his resolve. She turned to Kohaku, knowing nothing she could say would do anything other than make her father angry. But perhaps if Kohaku...

He gave a brief nod and stepped forward. "If I may, Ogino-san." Her father nodded gruffly, giving the river spirit permission to enter into the conversation. 

"I would strongly recommend that you return to your own world. Adult humans are not accepted with open arms here. Were you to stay would have to work in the Bathhouse, and different rooms would have to be found for you, if we have any left at all. There is nothing here that you can protect Chihiro against. You would only do harm to yourselves by staying." 

For a moment Chihiro thought that they had won and that her father had given in as uncertainty flickered in his eyes. 

"Who's going to watch out for her then?"

The question offended his daughters pride and so lit her anger. "What do you mean who's going to watch for me? I can take care of myself! I've been taking care of myself and watching over you guys! I'll be fine!"

Kohaku cringed. Wrong answer. Definitely the wrong answer. If this whole argument hadn't been doomed from the beginning it certainly was now. 

"You're fifteen years old! You can't make dinner by yourself!" 

"I can too!" 

"It doesn't matter. You're our daughter so we'll stay here until you come to your senses." With that last screaming statement, he stomped off back towards the Bathhouse, his wife sighing and following after. 

Chihiro fumed silently at her parent's retreating backs, when they were finally our of sight, she exploded. 

"I can't believe they're doing this! Why don't they trust me?!"

Kohaku was silent, not wanting her anger to be turned on him, but also lost for any form of an answer. But one seemed unnecessary as Chihiro sighed and let the anger seep out of her. 

"I mean, I'm their daughter. Why can't they trust me, just this once? Haven't I proved yet that I'm responsible? I told them the whole story. I made sure that they didn't freak out. I got them a way home and this is how they're repaying me? They're staying here! They couldn't just go home and let me enjoy my time here." Chihiro was close to tears, everything so far had been messed up by the arrival of her parents, even seeing Kohaku again! This was not the way that things were suppose to happen. 

"Why can't they just trust me?" She whispered. 

Kohaku moved slightly to rest a comforting hand on Chihiro's shoulder. He would love to be able to giver her the answers she wanted, if there even were any, but he couldn't even begin to identify with her problems. The only real even remotely parental figure he had ever had was Kawa-kami, and Kawa-kami had always pushed him, placing more trust in him then he wanted sometimes. 

So in the grand tradition of not knowing what to say, Kohaku changed the subject. 

"C'mon, we should really go see Yubaba and inform her that you'll be working here for a while." 

Chihiro made a sniffling noise and nodded. And as they began heading back to the bathhouse, she looked up at him and offered his an apologetic smile. He shook his head and kept moving. Nothing needed to be said. 

***

"What makes you think that I would ever give you your job back, let alone give jobs to those two pigs-"

"Excuse me?"

Yubaba ignored Chihiro's father and continued to talk to his daughter as if he hadn't spoken. "After the mess you left last time why should I do anything for you?"

Chihiro's lower lip shook a bit, she no longer considered the big headed witch to be a danger, but that didn't mean she wasn't still rather intimidating. And Chihiro could never quite forget how she had told her heads to get dump the injured Kohaku down that shaft because he was 'bleeding all over the carpet.' 

"Please let us work here." Chihiro pleaded. She was still upset with her parents, but she couldn't think of a better punishment for them then being forced to do manual labor in a bathhouse for the spirits. They would probably be begging to go home by tomorrow, neither had ever done much physical work, they both had desk jobs and considered typing an aerobic exercise. 

"Please let us work here!" Yubaba mocked her. "Do you have any idea how much you cost me last time? Do you have any idea how much debt I'm still in?" 

Chihiro squirmed, she had really been hoping Yubaba wouldn't touch on that sore subject. 

"I'm very sorry."

"Of course you're sorry! Now that you want a job again I'm sure you're very sorry!" 

Yubaba's gaze shifted after this statement to the silent river spirit leaning against the door frame, no doubt waiting for her to finish her little tantrum to get the girl and her parents situated. He was watching her, in his eyes a cold and silent threat of what would happen should she choose to deny the girl and her parents employment. Yubaba sneered at him. She hated that her former servant now pulled rank over her. True, most of the time he put up with her abuse and had yet to go crying to Light, but she resented him still. She resented him simply for being as powerful as he was. Jealousy had driven her to siphon off his power, a power she now wished badly to hold again. But like it or not, this was not something to fight the boy on. In fact, to give the girl a job would be doing him a favor and then he would owe her...

Yubaba turned her glared on Chihiro who reflexively straightened. 

"Alright girl, you can have you're job back. I'll even give jobs to your worthless parents. But make no mistake, you're going to work harder than you're ever worked in your miserable little life and pay me back for every cent you cost me." 

"Yes ma'am."

"Now get out of my sight. Haku, you know what to do." 

Yubaba waved a hand to dismiss them and all four bowed before leaving. 

"Why did she give in so easily? And why didn't she make us sign a contract?" Chihiro asked as soon as they were out of earshot. 

"It was just to her advantage not to." Kohaku answered. Chihiro mistakenly took this to mean that he didn't know. 

"Why does she still call you Haku? Everybody else uses your real name."

Kohaku smiled at the question. "Just because she doesn't like to admit she lost. But that reminds me, while you're here you should still call yourself 'Sen'."

"Why?"

"The workers here won't understand that some of their names have been stolen. They're happy here. Why anger them with truth that will only lead to their misery?"

"How did you managed to change your name then?"

Kohaku shrugged. "When I returned everyone just assumed that it was something that came with being council warrior. I never said anything to make them think otherwise so that was the end of it."

Chihiro's parents were doing excellent imitations of stone statues in the back of the elevator, frozen in their expressions confusion. Chihiro was unsure whether they were frightened of Kohaku or thought him to be beneath them. Either was plausible. But normally 'warrior' wasn't a word that instill a sense of superiority in people. 

"How did you become warrior for the council anyway?"

Kohaku sighed. "That's a long story. A very long story." 

"But you'll tell it to me?" 

"I f you like." 

"Promise?"

"Of course." 

The elevator bell dinged and the doors opened to reveal the main floor of the bathhouse, brimming with guests and attendants. Kohaku leaned over to whisper to Chihiro. 

"Are you sure they can handle this?"

Chihiro grinned, a rather sly smile that looked out of place on her face. 

"Nope."

The four exited the elevator.

***

Chihiro groaned as she eased her tired muscles under the covers. She really hadn't thought that she was so out of shape, but one day of scrubbing, running, mopping and serving had her muscles screaming. She grinned to herself. If she was tired she could only imagine how her parents felt. The had already been kicked out of the suite they'd been able to stay in the night before, not only because they were now employees but also because Kohaku's teacher would be returning late that night and since it belonged to him, her parents were not longer a priority. Unfortunately the misfortune of her parents had been the only bright spot in her day. Kohaku had given her a smile and apologized as he dropped her off with Lin and she hadn't seen him since. It wasn't that she minded spending the whole day catching up with Lin, but it would have been nice to talk with him too. 

But the worse part of her day had unquestionably been her 'conversation' with Ai. Chihiro shivered in the darkness remembering it. 

She had just been emptying out the dirty water left over from scrubbing the floors and when she stood up there she was. She had been so surprised she had nearly dropped the bucket she was holding. The girl standing before her was an almost exact carbon copy of Tomoe. Her face was exact, her eyes the same unique mix of green and brown, her hair was different, a deep blue shade that could never be found naturally in the human world, and the expression on her face was one that Chihiro had never seen on Tomoe, but besides that Chihiro would have gone up and asked her best friend how she had gotten to the spirit world . The Tomoe look alike looked down her nose at Chihiro, her features scrunched in disdain. 

"So." The girl spoke, the timbre of her voice an eerie echo of Tomoe's when she was talking to Sumi. "You're the little human girl everyone's talking about." 

The girl, whom Chihiro had then guessed was Ai, circled around her, her eyes criticizing her silently. The soft swish of Ai's silken robes stopped and she leaned forward slightly to whisper in Chihiro's ear. 

"This is your one warning little girl, I don't like you, and I don't like your kind. If you have something that even begins to resemble a brain in that empty head of yours, you'll stay out of my way." 

With that, she left, sauntering down the hall. 

Chihiro stood, frozen like a statue looking after her for a long time. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help feeling like she had just lost her best friend.   
  


  



	7. World Layered in Secrets

Author's Notes

Alright, it may be December 31rst, and it may be eight o'clock at night, but I did get this chapter out when I said I would. I've been doing a lot more work on it since I got the spirited away soundtrack for xmas. 

Review Thank-yous

Mitsuko Maxwell : Thanks for you review. You're completely right. Parents screw up everything. But then if it wasn't for her parents, Chihiro would never have gone to the spirit world the first time. 

Cute Anime Kitty : Thank you for the review and for being such a wonderful consistent reviewer. 

indigocornflower : Trying with the updates....thanks for your review...

moezy-chan : Sorry but I don't plan on getting rid of Chihiro's parents anytime soon. Conflict is what makes the story more along and if you think this makes the story worse, I'm sorry but I'm not going to write a bunch of meaningless fluff. Not in this story at least. 

Wanderer1 : Thank you so much! Getting reviews like that are what making writing worth it. 

Eadha Ohn : Ah yes, isn't Spirited Away such an amazing movie? I'm the same way though, the minute I finish anything with an ending that wasn't completely 'happily ever after' I go find a fanfiction. 

Disclaimer : I don't own Spirited Away 

  
  


Chapter 7: World Layered in Secrets  
  


Chihiro yawned. 

"Tired?" Lin teased. 

Chihiro grinned sheepishly in response. She wasn't used to working so hard throughout the day and then getting up so early in the morning. She had a feeling she wouldn't be for quite a while. 

"Lin! Sen!" The two girls turned to face the foreman. 

"I've got your assignments. Lin, you'll be helping in room five and Sen, you're cleaning the storeroom."

"What?!" Lin reacted first. For a split second Chihiro wondered what was so bad about room five. 

"That storeroom is huge! No one's cleaned it for years. That's a job for an army, not one person!" 

The more Lin ranted, the paler Chihiro grew. 

"It's not my fault! I can't contradict my superiors. You can help her when you're done if you like, but I've got orders not to let her out until the job is done." 

The foreman even sounded a bit apologetic. It Chihiro hadn't been worried before, she certainly was now. 

"But-!" 

"It's okay Lin." It sounded like it was anything but okay, still Chihiro would have rather not risked getting Lin and herself in trouble on her second day back. 

"But Sen-!" 

Chihiro managed to a weak smile. "Don't worry Lin, I'll be fine." 

Lin's jaw went up and down a few times before anything came out. "Good luck." She finally got out, and waved as the foreman led Chihiro to the storeroom, which turned out to be in the basement of the Aburaya, in the farthest corner they could have squeezed it in, considering it's size. The electric ( or magic) lights were dimmed by the layers of dust that had settled there over the years. Mold and muck made there home here, amongst numerous boxes and old bath supplies that someone really should have thrown out years ago. 

"I'll be back to check on you later." The foreman said, giving her an almost sympathetic look before leaving. 

"Thanks." Chihiro said sarcastically long after the foreman had left, looking around at the filth that surrounded her. "Thanks a lot." 

She sighed, setting down her cleaning supplies to start moving things around. She spent two hours sweating and panting attempting to put some order in the room. Most of the boxes were incredibly heavy, but she had finally managed to clear enough space in order to clean the floor.

She moved over to get the mop and bucket, but collapsed before she got there. Her legs were so sore, she could stand to rest a few moments. 

"Well well, this looks like quite a big job for a pretty little thing like you." 

Chihiro looked up, startled. And ancient looking man with silver-grey hair wearing an expensive looking aqua kimono was standing in the doorway looking at her with sparkling blue eyes. 

"Umm, I"m sorry sir. Are you lost? Do you need me to show you back to the main floor? Guests aren't suppose to be here."

The old man chuckled. "No, I'm here to meet you." He gave a small bow. "I'm Kohaku's teacher, you may call me Kawa-kami. I believe we had a run in a few years ago that I still need to formally thank you for." 

Chihiro stared for a brief moment at he human form of the river god she had cleaned five years ago before she remember her manners. 

"I'm pleased to meet you Kawa-kami." She bowed. 

He waved a hand as if dismissing the formalities. "The pleasure is all mine dear. Now, while there is time there is something that I need to tell you. You may not understand its significance right now, but I assure you that it will all make sense later." 

Chihiro's heart sunk a little. She hadn't understood a whole lot of anything that people had been telling her lately. And she wasn't anxious to add something else onto the list, but she nodded anyway. The old man sat down on the ground facing her. 

"Girl, I'm going to let you know right now that what I'm about to tell you is known by very few people. I haven't even been able to tell Kohaku yet. Oh, I know I should tell him, and that one day I'll probably have to tell him, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. I've kept this secret from him for so long, to tell him now would be to let him know that I wasn't worthy of his trust. If that makes any sense." He shook his head. "But to be honest the boy should know. So I won't ask you to keep this from him, but I'm not forcing you to tell him either. Maybe you're braver than I am. May you can tell him." 

He sighed deeply. "I'm sorry girl, I shouldn't e dumping all this on you. It's just that these old shoulders have been carrying the burden so long, just saying something lightens the load." He smiled at her and she smiled back. She was already a bit confused, but it was an okay kind of confusion, like the kind that came from reading the first half of a sentence. 

"But now to the point. You know that Kohaku is a lost spirit? That is, you know that his river was destroyed?" 

Chihiro nodded.

"Yes, well, there are three things that can happen to a spirit after their physical body is destroyed. The first is that they die along with their river, mountain, forest, etc. The second is that they survive, but remain weak and depressed and usually die within a century. The third si that they not only survive, but absorb the aura, the very energy of their physical counterpart, and become stronger than any normal spirit could ever hope to be." 

Silence lay over them like a cloak for a few moments. Chihiro tried to swallow. She knew that Kawa-kami was waiting for her to ask the question that she was struggling against, not wanting to even consider the possibility of any answer but one. 

"What happened to Kohaku?" She whispered the question because she knew she had to ask, no matter what the answer. 

"Oh? Hmm, if you were a spirit you would probably be able to sense it already. I forget how limited humans are. Kohaku is the first, and as far as we know the only spirit that has ever successfully absorbed the aura of his counterpart." 

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief. Kohaku was not in trouble, and he would not die. Later she would be a bit annoyed at the river god for making her worry like that, but at the moment she was just confused. 

"But, if Kohaku's so powerful, because he absorbed the energy or aura or whatever from his river, the how did Yubaba control him and take away his name?" 

A light sparkled in the old man's eyes. "You're a bright girl. And you're right. If Yubaba tired to do such a thing to the boy today it would blow up in her face. I know, the boy has thing about blowing things up when he's mad." At this point he mumbled something about broccoli under his breathe before continuing. "Well, today she couldn't do it, but when she found Kohaku he was most likely still trying to absorb all of the energy from his river. He had to be going through indescribable pain. When we found him after he left Yubaba and had finished absorbing he was bloody and mangled, many of his bones were broken. Of course, it didn't help that he fell from several stories up in the air, but all the same it wasn't pretty. Anyway, when Yubaba found him he was most likely still weak from the destruction of his river. I don't know if he could have survived absorbing al of the at power then. Yubaba knew it too, and she started stealing power from him. She siphoned it off and cast a spell to take control of him, that also consequently wiped most of his memories. She continued to steal power from him until he ended his apprenticeship under her. She didn't dare try it after that. She knew that the council wouldn't allow it. 

Kawa-kami paused a moment. "My young apprentice is coming. I have only this advice form you girl; first, stay away from Ai. Things are going to happen quickly now that you've arrived and I can only guess that she'll be starting some of them. Second, watch out for the boy. He needs others much more than he lets on." 

Just as the old man said, moments later the river spirit in question entered the organized, but filthy storeroom. 

At first he didn't say anything, he just looked cautiously between his teacher and Chihiro as if trying to figure out what had passed between them. Chihiro tried to smile and not look guilty. She had no idea why she should feel guilty, it really wasn't as if she had done anything wrong. But there was something that nagged at her and made her feel awkward knowing that Kohaku should be all known means be dead when he didn't know it himself. Suddenly Kawa-kami's dilemma in telling him made a lot more sense. 

"What's going on?" Kohaku finally asked the two of them, looking suspiciously at the river god. 

"Why, there's nothing going on boy. The poor girl was just assigned to clean this whole storeroom by herself and since I wanted to meet her anyway I came down here to keep her company until we could force the chore off on you." 

Chihiro looked on admiringly as the river god not only said his little speech with as straight face, but also managed to give a rather convincing innocent smile at the end as well. 

Kohaku shook his head. "How...typical.. of you." 

The river god smiled wider. "Exactly my boy! Now I'm off to get something to eat." 

And with that Kawa-kami left. Kohaku looked after him and sighed before turning back to Chihiro. 

His expression was somewhat apologetic when he spoke. "I know it's hard to believe he's the river god when he acts like that, but he's really wiser and more powerful than he likes to let on." 

Chihiro smiled in return, thinking it ironic that the same thing could be said of Kohaku. 

"He seems nice anyway." 

Kohaku nodded, then scowled in the direction Kawa-kami had gone. "I just wish that he didn't always make me do all the work. 'It's training' he says.... I train more than he does on a regular basis without his extra chores." 

Chihiro shifted back and forth, now a bit nervous about having him help. 

"If you want I can just finish, cleaning the storeroom that is..." 

He turned back and smiled at her. "No, don't mind me. Kawa-kami just gets on my nerves sometimes. I don't mind doing it for you." 

Chihiro smiled back, grateful. 

"I can still help if you want me to." 

Kohaku looked at her, tilting his head slightly as he did so, as if considering something. 

"Alright." 

He moved a few steps closer to her and held out his palm upon which a small bubble had formed. If Chihiro hadn't know better she would have said that he had somehow managed to capture one of those bubbles little kids liked blowing with the overpriced bubble mix and bubble guns their parents bought them. He moved his hand slightly, so that it was roughly a foot in front of her and parallel to her chin. 

She looked at him, asking a silent question. 

"Just blow." He answered her. Chihiro looked at him somewhat skeptically, knowing that any normal bubble would pop if blown on. 

"Trust me." He amended. 

Chihiro shrugged and blew on the bubble in the same way she would blow out a candle on a birthday cake. 

Contrary to her expectations, the bubble did not pop, but instead began replicating. Kohaku lowered his hand and the bubbles began drifting off and settling on every inch of the dirty storeroom. Once the room looked sufficiently enough like all of the washing machines at a laundromat had overflowed, the bubbles began popping. Chihiro watched in fascination as the bubbles disappeared leaving a sparkling, spotless storeroom in their wake. Once the last bubble had popped Chihiro turned to Kohaku and grinned. 

"Neat trick." 

"Thank you, but please don't tell Lin about it or else not only will I never hear the end of it for keeping it from her, but I'll probably be doing her chores for the rest of eternity." 

Chihiro giggled and the two left the now clean, organized storeroom behind as they went to join Kawa-kami in lunch. 

***  
  


Chihiro quietly crept down the staircase and shivered. It was an unusually chilly summer evening. But then, she only guessed that the seasons in the spirit world would coincide with the ones in the human world. 

She had much enjoyed her meal with Kohaku and Kawa-kami. It was quite entertaining to listen to the two fight. But eventually Kawa-kami had said that he had to excuse himself and get his "stupid apprentice" to sit down and do his job. Kohaku had reluctantly agreed, but insisted on walking Chihiro to room five so that she could rejoin Lin. The two girls had gotten off early, allowing Chihiro to go out on her secret mission. 

Well, it wasn't really a secret; she had told Lin that she was going to visit Kamaji. It was more what she wanted to talk with him about that was the secret. Sort of. 

Her talk with Kawa-kami had lit a fire in her head. Now more than ever she wanted to know more about her river spirit. Kawa-kami had briefly mentioned when Kohaku had come to the Bathhouse, she was hoping that Kamaji could tell her more. 

She came to the small door that led to the boiler room. She opened it and crawled though, quite proud that she didn't hit her head this time. 

"Kamaji!" she greeted the elder spirit. 

"Eh?" He turned around. "Oh, Chihiro. What brings you down here?" 

The old spider spirit turned away from his mortar wheel to face the human girl. 

"I just had something I wanted to ask you about." Chihiro started playing with a strand of her hair, slightly nervous about how Kamaji would take the questions she wanted to ask. 

"Go ahead." 

"Well, it's just... you were around the bathhouse when Kohaku turned up, right?" 

"Yes, I've been here many years."

"Well, can you tell me the story, or anything that you remember about when he showed up here...um....please?"

"Hmm... out of curiosity girl why do you want to know?"

"Just out of curiosity.' Chihiro tried to say off-handly. She had prepared the lie but after the old man had just used the phrase it sounded stupid. 

"Well... I don't know a whole lot of the story. But I know just about as much as anyone who was here around that time. Let's see..." 

Kamaji took a swig of his tea kettle and got a far-off look like he was going back in time. 

"It was quite a while back... I don't bother to keep track of the human years anymore. Anyway, one day a dragon showed up at our doorstep. It was the dead of night so naturally by the next morning word had spread to everyone except Yubaba. Everyone went out to go look. And there was Kohaku washed in blood. His eyes didn't open, but every once in a while he would thrash around in pain. And there was a light... It surrounded him and kept him prisoner. It think it was that light that was hurting him. Still, it was a beautiful light. It shown a bright white blue. No one dare went near the dragon. Of course, eventually Yubaba did hear about it. When she came down some of the workers scattered, but many, including myself, stayed to see what was happening. Yubaba circled around him and tried to more closer but the light repelled her. The she did something, I don't know what it was, some kind of spell or something and the light diminished, the finally disappeared into Kohaku. He shifted and Yubaba had two of her more trusted servants carry him inside. You basically know the story from there. Yubaba took control of him and he just sank deeper and deeper..." 

Kamaji shook his head. "That is, until you came along and saved him." 

"Chihiro blushed faintly. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it girl, nothing of it." 

***

(I couldn't get this to go in italics, sorry can you just imagine?)

"I'm telling you it's not a good idea. Yubaba can't be trusted." 

"I-I don't have a choice." 

"Of course you have a choice! Go back home." 

"I don't have a home to go back to." 

"Hmm?"

"I just, I can't really remember, but I know that my home is gone."

"Still this isn't the kind of place you should stay in the meantime." 

"Don't worry Kamaji. I'm just going to stay here until I learn enough magic that I can make it on my own." 

"I really hope you're right Haku, I really really do."

***

Tomoe glared down the tunnel that led to the spirit world. She casually leaned against the stone figure that guarded the tunnel, oblivious to the summer breeze blowing strands of ebony across her face of the rolling grey clouds overhead that threatened to open and pour down upon the teenage girl in her t-shirt and cut off jeans. 

"I know what you're doing, and I'm telling you right now to stop it. I left everything to protect her, so if you think that now I'm just going to hang around here and watch, you've got another thing coming. In fact, if I were you, I'd start running right now. As far and as fast as you can. Because I'm coming back. And when I do... well, I'll just let you think about that."

With these words she turned and left. And the sky opened and the rain poured down. 

***

A/N

Happy Holidays everybody! 


	8. Maybe Nothing Maybe Not

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long! Yes I know I keep saying that. Alright so we have this chapter and then next chapter which I've been planning for a while now after which you're all going to hate me. But the next one might be kind of long so it may take me a bit k? Also, I just found a part in chapter 6 which was totally screwed up so I reloaded that, it's fixed now. 

  


To the Reviewers:

  


Cute Anime Kitty: What is Tomoe up to? Good question...

  


ArikaPhantomess: Thank you, I'm rather flattered. 

  


Storm-Maker: Thanks, I had a bit of trouble writing that part because it kept turning out stupid-sounding. I hope it turned out all right. 

  


Kerei Kitsune: Thanks. It's nice to know that people are reading. 

  


Mitsuko Maxwell: Yes, trying to shift the focus back to Kohaku I just went through a point where I was having trouble figuring out his character, and how much he did and didn't know, but now I've decided so he'll have a bigger part from now on. 

  


Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away. I do not feel creative so that's all you get. 

  


Note: 'this is like mind to mind communcation' 

"This is normal talking"

  


Chapter 8: Maybe Nothing...Maybe Not

  


Chihiro awoke to a soft haze of light. 

'Chihiro...'

"Hmm?"

'Chihiro, come on wake up.'

"Five more minutes mom..."

'If you want to go to see Zeniba we have to go now.'

Something registered in Chihiro's foggy brain that not only did the voice she was hearing not sound like her mother, she wasn't in fact actually hearing it. It just echoed in her head. Not to mention the fact that her mother would most definitely not be asking her if she wanted to go see Zeniba. Thus, she finally chose to open her eyes. 

"Kohaku?" She mumbled.

He place a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. He raised his other hand to her forehead. 

'I'm taking Boh to visit his aunt. I assumed that you would like to come along?'

She opened her mouth to agree, but just then one of the other girls let out a loud snore and remembered where she was so she nodded instead. 

'Alright, I'll wait for you outside.'

Minutes later Chihiro joined Kohaku outside. 

"Yubaba really allows Boh to go see Granny?" Chihiro couldn't help but ask as they started to move upward through the bathhouse to Yubaba's apartments. 

"She doesn't like it, but he doesn't really give her much of a choice."

Chihiro thought about for a moment. It was completely true that Boh had his mother wrapped around his little (well, figuratively speaking) finger. In fact it was kind of funny that the sorceress still thought that she was in charge. Chihiro wished she had that kind of power over her parents. Then they would be far away, safe at home, reading the paper or watching the weather channel or whatever they did for fun. 

Consequent to her wondering thoughts, Chihiro was not looking where she was going. Therefore, according to the laws of fate she bumped into someone. And that someone just had to be much much bigger than her, white, wearing some form of red hat thing (she had never really figured out what that was) and a guest, the radish spirit. 

For a moment Chihiro just kind of stared in open-mouth silence. This was too early in the morning for her as it was. She was incoherent enough without having to bump into spirts. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. 

Kohaku gently slid his hand in hers. She smiled at him gratefully as her mind snapped back into focus. 

"Please excuse me." She bowed to the radish spirit. "I'm very sorry for running into you." 

"Hmm." The radish spirit nodded at her, as if accepting her apology. Then he turned and bowed to Kohaku who bowed in return. 

"Come on." Kohaku tugged lightly on her hand and she followed as he led her around the large vegetable spirit.

He held her hand until they got to the elevator, then his grip went slack. She could have slipped her hand out easily if she had wanted to. Instead, she gripped it tighter when the elevator bell dinged. She didn't like dealing with Yubaba. She knew that the witch would never really do her any harm, but the way that she would rant sometimes made her nervous. Chihiro had never been terribly good with conflict. 

They walked through Yubaba's apartments to her office where they met her looking slightly comical with her hair in rollers and wearing a bathrobe. 

"Haku..." She growled dangerously, or she would have if she hadn't yawned in the process. "I told you before that you are not to come up here this early in the morning ever." 

"Noted." Kohaku answered in a way that made Chihiro sure that he hadn't paid attention to a word that had come out of the witch's mouth. 

A small, albeit fat mouse was then flown into the room by a much smaller black bird. 

"Chuu!" The mouse squeaked happily as the tiny bird set him down on Chihiro's shoulder. 

"Boh..." She greeted the small mouse. 

Kohaku bowed to Yubaba. "I will try to return them before night falls." 

Yubaba growled but made no other response. It was obviously that she was not happy about the current arrangement and even less happy that Chihiro was leaving as well judging by the glares she was giving the young girl. Being completely powerless as she was was one of the few things that really got to the sorceress. 

"What happened to you guys? I thought the magic on you wore off a long time ago." She asked her companions as she followed Kohaku as soon as they were out of earshot from Yubaba. 

"It did. But they both decided they liked these forms and kept the magic to change back. That and I can't carry them to Zeniba's in their true forms.'

"Oh." 

"So are you ready?" Kohaku as her as he opened the door to the balcony. 

She nodded. He smirked lightly and shifted. Chihiro tired very hard not to stare (as that was impolite) but found that she couldn't help it. She had never seen Kohaku turn into a dragon before. She'd seen him shift back to human twice, but she found that the processes were completely different. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind Chihiro was thinking that Kohaku's dragon form seemed to have gotten bigger. Of course, that was only logical. If his human form had grown then his dragon form would have too. Still, it was a bit intimidating. Or it would have been form anyone except Chihiro. 

She had no qualms about clambering onto Kohaku's back when he moved to let her; she trusted him implicitly. 

Perhaps that this was the reason that somewhere along the way, soaring hundreds of feet above the deep blue ocean Chihiro slowly slid into a peaceful sleep. 

***

Chihiro woke up for the second time that day, but this time to the soft smell of something backing. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

"Oh Chihiro dear you're finally awake." 

"Yeah," she responded sheepishly. "How long have I been asleep?" 

"Just about half an hour. Well, half an hour since you got here. I really don't know how Kohaku managed to get you here unconscious as you were. I would have imagined that you would have fallen. Then again it is you two..."

Chihiro, having no clue as to what Zeniba was alluding to, ignored it. 

"It's great to see you again Granny." 

She move to give the large headed women a hug.

"Oh it's good to see you too Chihiro. We've all been rather worried since you left."

"Worried?" Chihiro pulled away. "Why?"

Zeniba smiled secretively. "Now dear, tell me how your trip has been so far."

Chihiro thought on that a moment as Zeniba went bustling around the kitchen, fixing her some breakfast. 

"It's been....alright..." She wanted to say that it had been wonderful, spectacular, she couldn't ever imagine leaving, but she also didn't want to lie. 

"Really? Tell me what's wrong dear. You don't sound terribly happy." 

"It's just..." 

"Yes?"

"My parents followed me here and they won't go home because they don't trust me at all and I can't feel normal until they do and Kohaku is almost always gone or busy or something even thought I came here to see him and I'm glad that he's okay and that he's happy being warrior for the council although I have no idea what that really means but ever since I came here it seems like everyone else is still worried about him so now I am too, and there's this girl named Ai working at the bathhouse, well, not really working but she's there nonetheless and I think she hates me just because I'm human and she looks just like Tomoe and... and ...." 

"One problem at a time dear and eventually you'll solve them all. Although I don't guarantee you won't have any new ones." Zeniba walked her over to the table and sat her down placing her breakfast in front of her. 

"Now, I think the only thing that's going to help your parents is time. Old people are stubborn, trust me. They'll come around eventually. Until then, ignore them. If you get upset with them they'll only think that you're closer to giving in. You think you can to that?" 

Chihiro nodded as she began eating. Her problems seemed much simpler when someone else was solving them. 

"I can't really tell you what to do about that Ai girl other than to wait it out and ignore her as well. She wouldn't dare do anything to you while Kohaku's still alive. So don't worry about her. As for the boy..."

Zeniba moved to refill her tea. "I can't tell you when he's going to have free time. He could be trying to make some or Light might just be overloaded and needs his help. I can't say for sure. But I can tell you to stop worrying about the boy. He's very much used to taking care of himself now." 

"Umm, Granny, what exactly does Kohaku do for the council? I mean, I know they're important, but who exactly are they?" 

"They haven't even explained that much to you? No wonder you're confused. You see, the council rules over our world. The oldest of them is Light and although she takes the form of a young child, she is the wisest of all spirts. Light is protected by her guardians or wind, water, fire and earth. Together the five of them make up the council. They, well, they regulate what goes on in this world. I suppose you would say. They're the ones that made Yubaba take an oath to hire anyone who asks." 

"Oh...and Kohaku works for them?"

"Yes... in a way....Kohaku is the warrior for the council. It's a position few have ever been elected to. Kohaku's the first in oh, two thousand years I'd say." 

"Wow, really? Kohaku?"

"Yes. I can't really tell you what he does, because I don't know. What he does is 'top secret.'"

Zeniba paused, as if she wanted to continue but didn't know if she should. 

Chihiro looked at her curiously. "Does Kohaku being warrior have anything to do with him being a lost spirit?"

Zeniba seemed to sight in relief. Whether because Chihiro had guessed right or wrong as to what she was hiding she didn't know. "Kawa-kami told you about hat then? Well, it doesn't really have to do with him being a lost spirit, it has to do with him being the lost spirit." 

Chihiro nodded in understanding. "Right, Kohaku's the only spirit who ever absorbed the aura...power...whatever from his river when it was destroyed, right? Granny, how did you know about it?" 

Zeniba's eye twinkled. "I was there." 

"You...were there?" Chihiro asked uncertainly. 

"Yes." Zeniba nodded. Then she pushed the plate of food away from Chihiro. "It happened right after you left. There was a storm that night and Kawa-kami showed up at my door, dragging Kohaku behind him. The poor boy...he was soaked for one thing. But the rain had washed most of the blood away. Some of his limbs were sticking out at impossible angles. I knew the bones had to be broken. There were burns on his skin, in some places they had eaten through the flesh all the way to the bone. Kawa-kami said he had found him not far from my house, on the ground. He suspected he had been a couple of hundred feet up in the air when his own power had overwhelmed him. He absorbed it, and then he must have passed out and fallen to the ground." She shook her head lightly. "The most amazing thing was that he was healing himself. The bones were shifting back in place, the burned skin was rebuilding itself and the bruises were fading. He was almost completely healed by the next morning. That was the day when he became Kawa-kami's apprentice and went off with him to train. I couldn't believe it. Sometimes I still can't. The thing is, the boy still believes that Kawa-kami and I healed him. So don't tell him the truth. We've been trying rather hard to keep the true magnitude of him power from him." 

"But... why?" Chihiro asked. when she found her voice. She couldn't believe that that had happened to Kohaku. Her Kohaku. She wouldn't believe it. But she was happy that Zeniba had pushed the food away from her anyway. 

"Why? That's a good question. I suppose that it's because we never wanted him to be arrogant because of his abilities. And I suppose we didn't want to risk him being turned to the other side either."

"The other side? Kohaku wouldn't do that!"

"I know that dear. Now he wouldn't. I suppose that the only real reason we keep it from him now is that we don't know what he'd do if he found it. I don't think he would know what to do if he knew." 

"Granny....you...Kawa-kami...Yubaba...you're not afraid of Kohaku, are you?"

There was a moment of silence that made Chihiro want to scream. 'Just answer the question!' she cried mentally, 'It's not that hard, just say no!'

"It ...it is not that we fear him....but we do perhaps fear his power..." 

"You don't trust Kohaku?" Chihiro asked, her tone accusing. 

"It's not that. It's more that... well you see we've spent five years making sure that Kohaku could handle anything no matter what. And now he can. And I'm afraid that in the process we've isolated him...never allowing him to show any weakness..."

"But...but why?"

Zeniba wouldn't look her in the eye as she spoke. 

"That has yet to be revealed." 

***

"We're so happy the might council warrior has decided to finally grace us with his presence. You and your girlfriend get tired of sucking face so quickly?" 

Kaz continued to examine the chess bored that sat between him and Gaven even as he spoke. 

"Watch out Kaz." The earth spirit warned, moving a pawn forward. 

"Yeah, Kohaku looks like he's thinking of twelve different ways to feed you through a meat grinder." Zepher agreed. 

"Really? Personally I think that being forced through a colander would be more painful..."

"How about hanging him upside down by his finger nails?

"He could always run him through with a blunt object really slowly."

"Or implant millions of slivers under his skin."

"Or his eyeballs!"

"Thank you all I'm sure you're really helping Kohaku decide!" Kaz finally silenced the other three, becoming slightly nervous with all of their wonderful torture suggestions. 

"What are you all doing now?" Light, the self proclaimed peacemaker (except when she was part of the conflict) had decided it was time that they all calmed down and got along, or got punished. 

"We're just helping Kohaku decide how to punish Kaz for teasing him about his girlfriend." 

"She's not-!" Kohaku decided he finally had to speak up for himself instead of just glaring.

"Oh, is that all?"

"Not you too..."

"Relax Kohaku. Come on. I don't want you killing any of my guardians today...no matter how much they deserve it." 

Kohaku glared at the four guardians who looked rather nervous at the threat but followed Light obediently.

Light made her way outside to the Lily garden, so named for its large fountain actually made from an enormous white lily. She skipped over like the child she looked and sat on the tree swing that had been previously hung by her guardians and Kohaku last spring without magic. Just to prove that they could. Still, the whole disaster had involved several injuries, a couple of hours and a few bruised egos. 

"Push me." She ordered, sitting down on the swing. Kohaku complied, no longer thinking it odd to be meeting with the most powerful being in both worlds, discussing the fate of one or both and being asked to play child's games like hide-and-seek or tag. 

"Kohaku...." Light asked after of few minutes. "Why are you avoiding Chihiro?"

Kohaku froze a moment, was almost knocked over by the swing and came to his senses. 

"I'm not avoiding Chihiro." 

"Liar." 

The ropes attaching the swing creaked against the well-worn wood of the branch. 

"You've been trying to get her here for so long and now that she's here, you're making any excuse to be away from her, why?"

Kohaku looked down at the ground as he spoke, "Because-she can't stay. I should never have brought her here. I only cause myself more pain."

"What brought this revelation?"

"Her parents....you know that they followed her here. She's asked them to go home repeatedly but they won't. They care about her. They're worried about her. She already has a family and a life and friends. And they're all alive. She doesn't need us, least of all me..."

"Kohaku.....she came here to see you! She wants to be around you, talk to you, do things with you. That's why she came!"

"I realize that I'm being a terrible host and all but..."

"You're missing the point Kohaku! She doesn't care! She wants to be here. Are you really going to force her back? I know her being here is bittersweet for you, but isn't it better than nothing?" 

"I-I would never force Chihiro to do anything..." 

"Then it's settled! Tomorrow you can take her out on a picnic. You'll both feel better if you have some time together. And I'm not taking no for an answer! I'll order you if I have to. I really really will." 

*Bang*

*Boom*

"@!$&*(%"

The noises that came from inside the palace made them both cringe. At the came time, of course, a robin who was not a robin landed in the tree. 

"Light-sama, you have a visitor." The robin sang. 

Light sighed. "Alright, you go take care of the inevitable mess inside and I'll tend to my visitor." 

Kohaku nodded and started walking in the direction of the palace. 

"But Kohaku...Promise me?"

Kohaku turned and nodded, then kept going. 

Light smiled as he disappeared into the palace. She could barely hear the voices off in the distance. 

"What are you all doing?"

"Kaz is cheating again!"

"I am not!"

"Zepher quit it! You're singeing my robe!"

"I'm trying to make all the stupid plants go away!"

Light giggled at the senseless argument. 

"Light-sama?"

She turned to the soft voice behind her and her eyes widened. 

"Tomoe?"

***

A/N

Reviewing is good!


	9. Shields that Hide

Author's Notes

Hah! This chapter is right on target as far as time goes. One month from the last time I posted and three more pages. I really love the end of this chapter. (At this point I know most of you are very scared) 

Since some of you seemed rather confused with the end of the last chapter, I thought I'd clarify. 

Tomoe is Chihiro's best friend as of Chapter Two when Chihiro goes to her new school for the first time. Two years after that (chapter Three) Chihiro tells Tomoe about going to the Spirit world. Now, when Chihiro gets to the spirit world again she meets Ai, who is a carbon copy of Tomoe except for her hair color. Ai is the daughter of the spirit that loaned Yubaba money and that's why she's at the bathhouse. Well, that and she's annoying Kohaku. In chapter 7 Tomoe is standing near the tunnel opening making threats to someone on the other side. Last chapter, we saw that she was in the spirit world and meeting with Light. I hope this clears stuff up. 

Reviewer responses:

Mitsuko Maxwell- Yes, more of the teen thing in this chapter. I'm glad you like Light and her guardians. I always worry about using them too much 'cause of the OC thing, but they're so much fun to write. Chibis...yeah, I think of them like that sometimes too. And I know what you mean about the drawing thing. I can't draw at all, but my friend can and she's agree to do title art for this fic for me. Once it's done (possibly even after the fic) I'm going to get my cousin to put it up on my website. No, I have no clue how to do it myself...

Storm-Maker- Whenever I get withdrawl symtoms I go back and read a story from the beginning...it doesn't always help...I'm slaving away as much as I can..I'm really scared that you are gonna be mad at me after this chapter...

Cute Anime Kitty - Torturing people is fun..err...thinking of ways to torture people, or better yet characters is fun. Thanks for reviewing!

Claire - thanks. I hope I answered your questions above. Chihiro and Kohaku get together now? But I have so much fun stuff planned for them... (my friend stephanie says that my idea of 'fun' for characters translates to 'torture' for normal people.)

Kennan- Isn't the movie incredible? I wish it had been longer...

Kerei Kitsune - Updating as fast as possible...I promise

The Clueless- You're right, I'm not saying anything about Tomoe and Ai yet. Great imagination, me? Thanks!

Smoke Angel - Thanks so much! Yes, as annoying as her parents are, they are so much fun to mess with. And what could possibly make it more difficult for Kohaku to get together with Chihiro then her parents looking over her shoulder all the time?

Rachel - You have the same name as my little sister! Thanks for your review!

LadyMoon3 - Yes, you will find, if you don't already know, that I adore Light and the council. I love the idea that the entire universe is been ruled by a ten year old girl with four overprotective brothers who cannot stop fighting with each other. As for Tomoe..my lips are sealed.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 9: Shields that Hide  
  


The deep sapphire cloak of the sky was quiet for its protector and his passenger that flew across it, their other companions having long since fallen asleep. The pale gold moon a silent witness to their voyage home. 

Chihiro lay silently, looking out on the ocean below. She wasn't at all tired after having slept in that morning. She would most likely be awake for another few hours yet. Neither her nor Kohaku had spoken much since leaving Zeniba's. He had come for her around sunset, and Zeniba had forced him inside and set food before him and kept him prisoner until he finished all of it, oblivious to his pleas of not being hungry or not requiring food in the first place. After their earlier discussion Chihiro was surprised at the way the sorceress fussed over the dragon spirit. But Kohaku didn't seem to figure it anything out of the ordinary. 

Chihiro hated it. She could not figure out why everyone was treating Kohaku differently. And she hated feeling like she was suddenly a million miles behind him. He was there with her, but he wasn't. He was the warrior for the council, but he was her best friend as well. 

Through her annoyance something soft brushed against her mind. 

'Chihiro?'

Kohaku!

"Yeah?" She had no clue if he could hear her over the wind that blew past them, but she didn't have the slightest idea how to communicate with him mentally either. So she compromised and leaned closer to speak nearer to his ear. 

'Tomorrow...would you like to go on a picnic?'

Yes! Yes! Of course she would! She almost screamed, but didn't. 

"With you?" Perhaps the question was redundant but she had rather figured that she would be spending the day with him at Zeniba's and that hadn't exactly happened the way she figured it. So now she wanted to make sure that whatever she agreed to would involve spending time with him, or else she might as well just stay at the bathhouse, she would see more of him there. 

'Yes, with me.' Why had he taken so long to say those words?

"Yes! Yes, of course. I'd love to." 

'Alright then. Tomorrow afternoon.'

"Yes...and Kohaku? ....thank you."

'You're welcome, Chihiro..."

***

There was darkness everywhere. Not the warm darkness that you could trust to guard you while you slept, or even the frightening darkness that hid whatever evil lurked in its shadows, but the vast freezing darkness that just didn't care if you were afraid or not, if you were happy or sad, if you were alive or dead...

Something was slowly devouring him. Slowly eating away at his flesh, tearing away at him, and at the same time, he was still all there. Wherever "there" was. He didn't know how long he drifted here, lost, alone in agony and contentment until everything broke. 

Broke. Like he was in a glass mirror that had just been shattered. The pieces of the darkness fell to the ground, and he could see the sky full with pale moon, but no stars. 

"You still dream about this?" 

Kohaku was standing back in the Lily garden of the Palace of the Moon. Light was sitting on her tree swing, just like she had been hours before, her head cocked to the side, looking at him. 

His hand brushed against the crystalline katana strapped to his side and he could once again hear it singing. He took a deep breath and relaxed. 

"I haven't had it for a long time, but yes, sometimes I still do."

"You shouldn't." She swung herself back in forth. Her skin soaked in the moonbeams, and while the sky of the spirit world had no stars, they were still reflected in her childlike eyes. 

Kohaku opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. "Who am I to question the celestial child?"

He purposely looked at the ground as he spoke. Light rose softly and walked over to him. While she came only to her mid-chest her presence made her seem much taller. 

"You are everyone Kohaku. I would never tell you how to live."

"But I don't live!"

Light closed her eyes. "I understand that you're upset. I know that dream disturbs you greatly."

Kohaku folded his arms across his chest. "Not everyone gets to feel death and survive."

Light looked physically pained by his statement. "Do you wish you hadn't remembered?"

Kohaku looked away. "Sometimes. I was naive to ever want to remember."

There was a moment of silence that hung in the air like a stone, waiting to crush them both. 

"You're not going to offer to make me forget?"

"Why should I? We bother know that you won't accept. You can't stand not knowing, or not trying. You don't live well with regret Kohaku, no one does." 

"Stop saying that."

"What?"

"Live."

"Kohaku...you would do better to just tell them."

"Who?"

"Everyone."

"Why?"

"Because then they could stop worrying about you, and maybe you could tell them what's really going on once in a while. You talk to me sometimes, but you never tell me much. You'd feel better if you told them. You'd at least be under less stress."

An awkward silence passed before Kohaku turned and bowed low on one knee. 

"I apologize Light-sama. I should not be speaking to you in such a manner. Please excuse my behavior."

Light took a few deep breaths. She was either trying to stop herself from crying or screaming. 

"This is exactly what I mean Kohaku. Every time you feel like you're risking something of yourself you draw back and apologize, playing up your own inferiority. You can't keep doing this Kohaku. You have to let someone, anyone know you."

"That's what this is about isn't it? You want me to tell Chihiro." 

"....yes..."

"You cannot order me to inflict such a burden on her. By your leave, Light-sama, may I return to dreaming?"

Light bit her lip, but nodded and this time the darkness Kohaku fell into was the soft, rich darkness of the summer night. 

***

Chihiro awoke the next morning in the best mood she'd been in for days. For one, no one had to wake her up that morning. There was no back-braking work to be done. If she was lucky she wouldn't find out, hear, or otherwise come into knowledge of something else about Kohaku that he himself didn't know. As an added bonus she probably wouldn't have to deal with her parents all day, or a certain someone who looked at her like she was a speck of dirt on her silken slipper. 

Knowing all of this, Chihiro was also fairly sure that her day was just about to sour. 

"Chihiro!" 

And here it came...

"Mom, I told you before, you have to call me 'Sen' Got it? 'Sen.'"

Her mother ignored her and instead seized her roughly by the upper arm and pulled her back into the room she had just exited. 

"Mom, what-?" She started to ask even as she was pushed into the corner of the room, away from the other girls who were still rolling up their sleeping mats. 

"What on earth are you thinking?" She hissed. 

Chihiro was at a loss; she had no idea what her mother could possibly referring to . But she was standing there, tapping her foot, expecting an answer. 

"I was thinking that I'd go downstairs and find Lin?"

"You know very well that's not what I'm talking about." Her mother's tone turned dangerous. "I mean, what do you think you're doing going out with that...that boy? How could you ever think that your father and I would approve of this?"

Chihiro's expression got caught somewhere in between anger, embarrassment, and confusion. She knew she shouldn't have told Lin about going out with Kohaku today! 

"Mom, it's not a date! They don't do that kind of thing here!"

"You're going somewhere with him aren't you?"

"Well...yes, but-"

"And it will be just the two of you?"

"Yes but-"

"What else would you call that sort of thing then Chihiro? I can't believe you would go behind our backs like this! Chihiro the people here...they're not...well they're not normal. Now I don't know yet what's wrong with this boy but you can bet there's something and-"

"Mom." Chihiro interrupted. "There is nothing wrong with Kohaku." She was trying to keep her temper, but her words still shook, betraying the underlying promise of fury. 

"Well, you know I don't mean it that way Chihiro. It's just that everyone here has something odd about them. He may not have told you yet but they're all the same. He could be dangerous dear. You know we're just tying to watch out for you."

"Dangerous? Of course Kohaku's dangerous. He's the spirit of the lost Kohaku river, he can turn into a dragon at will and he's the warrior for the council, which makes him one of the most dangerous spirits in the entire universe. Which is also why I'll be perfectly safe with him."

Chihiro's mother's mouth went up and down a couple of times as her brain tried to process the new information. 

"Just wait until you're father hears about this.... Chihiro, you're not going with him. I forbid it."

Chihiro looked up at her mother, mouth set in a firm line. 

"I'm sorry mother but I'm afraid that you don't have that power over me anymore."

She sidestepped the older women and left, leaving her slack-jawed mother to stare blankly after her. 

***

"Are you sure you want to wear that?"

Chihiro glanced down at her school uniform and then back at Lin. 

"Should I wear the bathhouse uniform instead?"

Lin sighed and hung her head. "No no no. Honestly, haven't you ever gone out with a boy before?"

Chihiro blushed slightly and mumbled under her breath. "No, but I sincerely doubt that you have either."

"What was that?"

"Nothing Lin!"

Lin turned to one of the other girls that had swarmed around them the moment Lin had started talking about clothing.

"You should wear this!" She held out a beautiful silk lavender kimono with a darker violet obi.

Chihiro blushed a shade deeper. "Lin, we're just going on a picnic."

"We know, that's why we picked out one of the simpler ones." Another girl spoke up. 

Chihiro touched the garment hesitantly.

"Take it!" Lin shoved into her arms. "Besides, it'll be fun to see dragon boy flustered."

If Chihiro wasn't blushing before she certainly was now. 

"It's not a date! Kohaku's just my friend! I've got other friends back home like Joe who are guys and he hangs out with Tomoe and I all...the...time..."

She had trailed off, remembering Joe's offer before she had left and deciding that might not be the best example to use. 

Lin sighed. "He's gonna be coming to get you any minute. Just put it on and don't argue. We got your parents away didn't we? You owe us!"

The others made collective mumblings of agreement and Chihiro wrinkled her nose, but complied nevertheless. 

...after all...it was a very nice kimono....

***

"So...you're taking the girl out?"

Kohaku clenched his jaw, sincerely regretting telling Kawa-kami where he was going and why he was picking up a picnic basket from the kitchens. 

"....yes....though I don't really see how it's any of your business..."

"My business? After all I've done for you!? Why I plucked you from the mud in the darkest hour of the stormy night-"

Behind the river god's back, his student was mouthing much the same words. "-I took your raw, underdeveloped talent and apathetic attitude to mold you into what you are today and then-"

Choosing that moment to turn around, Kawa-kami 'hmphed' as he found his student was no longer there. 

***

Awkward silence. A little more awkward silence. Then, for a change of pace, some awkward silence. 

Chihiro shifted back and forth, trying to get comfortable and nibbling on her food. It was all very delicious. Apparently the kitchens could put out decent food, if asked by the right people. 

Kohaku been true to his word and come to get her that afternoon and in true girlish fashion Lin and the others had hid in the corners and snickered as Chihiro blushed when Kohaku complimented the kimono she was wearing. 

He had then taken her to a beautiful picnic spot, served her her food, and form there on out they had sat in awkward silence. 

Chihiro wondered whether Kohaku was feeling as nervous as she was, and whether he too had received so much verbal abuse over speculation about their outing, but didn't want to ask, just in case he hadn't. One part of her was scrambling for something, anything to say. The other part of her wanted to hit the aforementioned part for acting that way around her best friend. "So how do you like working for the council?" 

'Yes!' she cheered herself silently for finding something to say. 

"It's...interesting. It takes up a lot of time, and it's not exactly a ...clean... job..." 

"Do you regret taking it then?"

Kohaku shook his head. "No. I've never regretted taking it. Light and her guardians are just like my siblings. As hard as things get sometimes, I wouldn't give it up for anything."

Chihiro smiled. She couldn't help it. Kohaku had family. Kohaku the lost river spirit who she'd worried about for the past five years had family. 

"So what do you do exactly as warrior for the council or whatever..."

Kohaku smiled lightly, the patient smile of one dealing with others much younger or much more naive. 

"My official duty is to maintain order, protect, and enforce the word of Light. But all I've really done since my wandering year is fight the separatists." 

"The separatists?"

"They're...well, they're spirits, elemental spirits that want to...split the spirit world. They don't think that human souls should be allowed passage here anymore."

"O-oh..." Chihiro looked down at the ground. She knew that spirits weren't very partial to humans. But to hate even departed human spirits? 

It shouldn't have been such a huge surprise. Chihiro wasn't stupid. She knew what humans were doing to the earth, and supposedly, to the spirits of the earth. 

Pollution. Population expansion. Industrialization. 

People were slowly destroying the spirits during their lifetimes. Now the spirits were trying to take their revenge the only way they could. It was fair, wasn't it? Humans were hurting the spirits, sometimes killing the spirits. Humans almost killed Kohaku. Humans made him a lost spirit...

"Chihiro?" Kohaku gently pulled up her chin and forced her to look at him. Tears were running down her face. 

"Don't cry. We've got them beat right now." He wiped the tears from her cheeks. "We're not going to let them win. I'm not going to let them win. Ever."

Chihiro just cried harder as she hugged him. It just wasn't fair that he could care that much about those who had done so much wrong to him. It wasn't fair that he could forgive them all and she couldn't, even if they were her own kind. 

He pulled away slightly to look her in the eye. "Come on. Settle down and tell me what you've been doing the past five years. Or would you rather I try and force food down your throat again?" 

Chihiro allowed herself to giggle, remembering the last time he had comforted her while she shed tears over her parents. 

"Well," she settled back, trying to go back to being happy so as not to ruin the entire afternoon from there on out. 

"At home, my best friend's name is Tomoe. She can be kind of a klutz, but she's very nice. I told her about coming here and she believed me. She's the only one I ever told. She helps me with my homework a lot. We're in the same class. We have been for five years. We usually walk to school together. Her and me and my neighbor Joe-"

Kohaku cocked an eyebrow, all too aware of her abrupt stop. Chihiro looked sheepish. 

"Joe's my next door neighbor. He...well...he asked me out the afternoon I came back actually. But I turned him down. I mean, he's been my friend for so long it would have just been weird." 

Kohaku nodded in understanding and Chihiro opened her mouth to tell him about Tomoe's constant fights with Sumi, but was interrupted. 

"Kohaku!"

He turned immediately and stood to meet the four lights slowly turning into boys roughly two years older than Kohaku. 

"What's going on?" He asked them when they had completely descended. The one with blue hair opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the grey-haired one moved over to Chihiro. 

"Hello! You must be Chihiro! Kohaku's told us so much about you!"

"Kaz..." Kohaku and the other three warned simultaneously. 

"Yes, I'm Kaz. The blue guy's Akiro, the tall one's Gaven, and the other one with the orange hair is Zepher. We are the elemental guardians of Light. We-"

He no doubt would have continued on had the newly introduced Akiro not hit him over the head. 

"That's enough. We're all very happy to meet Chihiro. But need I remind you we have slightly bigger problems to worry about?" Akiro hissed. 

"You didn't have to hit me on the head! I think I'm getting a permanent bump there!" 

"Well maybe if you would just keep your big mouth shut instead of shooting it off-"

While they squabbled Kohaku exchanged a look with the other two and nodded. 

"Chihiro." She turned to Kohaku, the only one who seemed even remotely sane in the moment. 

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I've sent for Kawa-kami to take you back to the bathhouse and I'll leave a shield up to protect you. Please understand..."

Chihiro forced a smile. "Don't worry. It's not a big deal. You'll be okay, right?"

He smiled for her. "I'll be fine. I promise." 

She nodded and the group of five boys took to the sky, leaving her alone with a nice view and a picnic basket until Kawa-kami came for her.

***

"So..." Kaz started. 

"Don't even start." Kohaku snapped. Literally. 

"Touchy touchy. I take it things didn't go so well then?"

"Kaz, knock it off. Messing with Kohaku is a bad idea normally. Do you really want to try your luck with pissed off dragon Kohaku?" Zepher asked. 

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" 

The aforementioned annoyed Kohaku seem to like sulking because he wasn't showing any signs of stopping. 

"Oh sure you're all nice and sweet for your girlfriend but the minute we take you away..."

"Kaz..."

"Okay...okay...sheesh..."

Akiro turned to Kohaku. "Someone set up a barrier. A very large barrier." 

"You called me because some greedy idiot is worried about his gold?"

"Hey, we're not giving orders, just following them. Light felt something weird and told us to get you."

Everyone quieted after that. Whenever Light felt something wrong, something usually was wrong. And Kohaku knew, since Light had set up his little excursion in the first place, that she wouldn't have called upon him unless something was really wrong. 

"There!" 

Zepher needn't have pointed it out. The sickly pink transparent energy bauble was huge covering an equally large expanse of the ground, burnt as it was. 

"Well, this is stereotypical." Kaz mumbled as they landed and reverted back to have access to their weapons. 

"Welcome. You're a bit late. I honestly expected you sooner." 

They turned to see a boy, roughly Kohaku's height, with sandy hair and reddish brown eyes sitting cross-legged atop a cracked boulder, encased in black robes. He smiled. 

"With all the time you wasted getting here I'm sure my friends are already almost to the palace to visit your litter sister.'

The four elemental guardians perked up and drew their weapons slowly. 

The boy chuckled a little and snapped his fingers. The energies of barrier they were encased in slowly began swirling, changing the color from pink to orange. The air suddenly became very settled. 

"What did you.." 

Gaven trailed off. They all looked down at themselves and realized what was happening. The air was stale because it had just been sucked dry of all the magical energy that usually drifted through it. Equally dry was their skin, for their own magic was now sealed inside them as well. 

Don't you find it fascinating? It's a magic barrier. A trick I've been perfecting. My friends do it better than me though. I'm sure that your darling little sister will really enjoy seeing it. 

"He's bluffing." Akiro snarled. 

"We can't take that risk. If he's telling the truth…" Zepher argued. 

"She's not much good without her magic. But there's no way he can seal her…is there?" Kaz questioned. 

"He sealed us…maybe…" Gaven mused. 

"Go." Kohaku ordered them, not taking his eyes off his opponent. "Your job is to protect Light. I know you have to put that before everything else. If you can't sense her, go. I can take care of him on my own. Or don't you trust me?"

"Kohaku…" 

The boy smiled deviously. "Tick-tock gentlemen, Tick-Tock."

"Go!" 

"Be careful.." Zepher whispered as he and the others left the barrier. 

The magic deprived air was silent. Kohaku and the strange boy stared at each other, neither yet arming himself, but neither letting their guard down either. 

"I'm so happy it's just you and me now. You know I've wanted to meet you for quite some time Kohaku. And here you are. Honestly, I'm rather fascinated by your little brush with death, and even more intrigued by the power you wield because of it. Tell me how you survived and maybe we can spare the messy bits." 

Kohaku smiled back, amused, "I wish I knew." 

"A pity."

"Your friends aren't' anywhere near the palace or Light are they? If they even exist that is." 

"Oh they exist, but you're right. They're nowhere near that sweet little child. But you're not going to try and call the guardians back, are you? No, I'm quite certain you won't. Because I'm a threat to this world and that's your job isn't it? To take care of me. Still trying to prove yourself after all this time are you?" 

"You like to hear yourself talk, don't you?"

The boy smiled maniacally. "Oh I like you Kohaku. Nothing you do is ever quite good enough is it? You're never quite good enough. Isn't that they way it goes? They tell you you're good but if you really were they wouldn't need to say it would they?"

"I'm getting tired of listening to your ramblings." 

"Of course, of course. Just tell me one more thing, won't you? Don't you ever get upset?"

"About what?"

"The human filth of course! They're clogging up our world, our last haven, and eating up our magic. Stealing it from us with every breath they breathe. They should be punished you know. Then again….maybe you don't. I'd forgotten about your little pet." 

Kohaku glared at him, reaching for the crystalline katana, its glow only slightly dulled with the lack of magic being fed to it. 

"I can see we're not going to agree on this." 

He sighed and dropped down from his rock. "Well, before we get on with it I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Djavel." 

Kohaku drew his katana. "Since you already know my name and I doubt that you want to break form and tell me who all of your accomplices are and where I can find them, I guess we should begin." 

"I guess we should." 

***

"Chihiro, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't know Lin. I'm just kind of worried about Kohaku." 

"Don't be. Dragon boy's never come back with anything more severe then a bruise before. He's too good to get hurt much worse. Or too hard headed…"

"I know….It's just a feeling. Still….I hope he's alright…"

***

'Breathe." Kohaku ordered himself as he kneeled on the ground, careful to keep his eyes on his opponent who had taken an identical stance. Djavel stood, and Kohaku mirrored the action. 

RunDodgeTurnStrikeBlockPushAway and then go again. 

Too fast. Too fast Toofast ToofastToofast. No time to move no time to think. 

DodgeBlockSwingSpinStrikeCRACK

Djavel smirked as he threw his broken sword aside. 

"Well, this is interesting. I didn't expect you to do nearly this well without your magic. But no matter. I'm afraid I'll have to be leaving soon so we'll just have to end this." 

A snap, something too quick for Kohaku's exhausted mind to register and the crystalline katana was wrenched from his grip. It landed blade first in the dirt halfway between him and his opponent. 

"It's called the soul whip. It….well I've already been talking too much as it is. I've been boring you haven't I? I certainly don't want to do that."

They were locked. Kohaku knew that he had two choices. Stay where he was and get hit, or move, try and grab his katana and risk getting hit. 

He moved; Djavel struck. The first strike missed. 

Closer…Closer..Closer Closer CloserCloser. Almost…

His hand was inches from the hilt when the second strike fell upon him, bring with it a crashing wave of pain. Pain was nothing new. What was different was the nausea that surged through him. But it passed as quickly as it had come. 

He gripped the hilt of the crystalline katana and pulled. Anger was coursing through him. Djavel moved to strike again and his beloved soul whip fell to the ground in seven different pieces. He hissed and disappeared without a word. 

Kohaku sighed. 

"Is he gone?" A small voice asked. 

He turned to see a mirror image of himself, on the ground hugging his knees and looking up at him, scared and pathetic. 

He closed his eyes and in his rage uttered several choice words that shall not be repeated in this story. 

A/N

Oh boy...please review and don't kill me....


	10. Had a Great Fall

Author's Notes

Okay, sorry this chapter is a bit late, but I battle a bad case of writer's block every time I sit down to write this thing. I usually just have to wait until I get an idea. I also have this nasty problem of changing my mind about the way I want a scene to go halfway through writing it, and then I have to go back and change it. It's not fun, but I think it makes the story a bit better. 

NOTICE: Idiot me finally went back and read my own story trying to get ideas and figured out that only half of chapter four had ever loaded. So you might want to go back and read that...

Disclaimer: I do not own spirited away

Review responses: 

Storm-Maker - You know, with your ideas for torture you'd fit in really well with the guardians. About the Chihiro thing... thanks for telling me. I didn't even really realize I was doing it but I guess you're right. She's kind of hard to write right now because she has no clue what's going on. 

Smoke Angel - Yes, yes Chihiro and Kohaku will get another shot, sooner or later. However, Chihiro's little "I couldn't go out with him because he's a friend" comment will come back to bite her in the butt. Thanks for you review!

Cute Anime Kitty - Don't change your reviews. I love finding out which parts in the story you thought to be funny. It helps me get a sense of what I can put in where. The mirror image of Kohaku...well you'll find out....

ArikaPhantomess - Thank you! I work so hard to have plot. My friend and I constantly argue about how much fluff should be in a story, I say fluff is nice, but I need a plot. She disagrees. 

Yumegrl820 - Thank you! It's so nice to get compliments like that... Good guess on the mirror image, but not quite right. 

urban_angel809 - Thank you! I'm working hard on updating, promise. 

Rachel - Thanks! I'm already ten chapters in and I've barely introduced the bad guy... how long is this thing gonna get?

Silver Petra - Thanks for your review. I'm working on the updates. 

Lady Moon3 - Yes PLOT! I love plot. I've read and sadly done enough all fluffy love stories that I would no longer write a story longer than a one shot that didn't have some form of plot behind it. The mirror-copy? Read on....

Sonha - Thank you! My parents tell me to give up fanfiction and write original stories, but they don't get to read reviews like this. The movie is amazing isn't it?

The Clueless - Thank you! Tomoe will come in either next chapter or the chapter after that. It all depends, I'm really not sure yet. 

Einstein09 - How's your male harem? What do you think Medical Michael thinks of your harem? You won't pester me about the end... yeah right. I should just stop telling you anything, but it's more fun to keep talking and annoy you. 

Mitsuko Maxwell - Good guess. Not quite right. But good guess. Chihiro's parents will be out of the way for a while...I think... Thanks for your review! 

Theresa L'Anne - Thank you! I'll work on the update speed. Or try to. 

Kerei Kitsune - Thanks for reviewing! 

GoldenRat - Tomoe will appear in a few chapters. You can wonder about her until then. As for Kohaku... keep reading....

  
  
  
  


The credit for this goes completely to the movie and Lin's line:

"Two Hakus? I can barely stand one." 

Lin....welcome to your worst nightmare

  
  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 10: Had a Great Fall

The guardians of light had faced many things that most mortals would have run away from screaming. Demons, shadows, darkness itself. The had "died" in various painful and gruesome ways, including but not limited to drowning, arson, strangulation, implosion, and bleeding to death. Any fear that they felt was rarely for themselves, but more often for their baby sister. 

But not this time. 

No, this time they were filled to the brim with terror. Nausea sat in the pits of their stomachs. Sweat shown on their brows. Nothing in the entire universe was as frightening as what they were about to face. 

"What on earth were you thinking?"

The ten-year-old form of Light didn't really suit her just then. She should have been taller. And green. And had several heads. 

"I really never expected you four to do anything this stupid! But I suppose then this is my fault for overestimating you."

They cringed. 

Light then did something odd. She began looking at each of then and pointing quickly, then looked puzzled and did it again. 

None of the guardians really wanted to ask what she was doing, but they did want to get their punishment over with. Zepher was finally the one brave (or foolish) enough to ask. 

"What are you doing sister dear?"

"I'm counting," she snapped. "I could have sworn that there were four of you. Which would mean that at least one of you could have stayed behind and watched Kohaku's back. But I forgot, even if there are four of you, you only share one brain." 

Anyone else who had though to make that kind of comment to the elemental guardians would have shortly found themselves in a very uncomfortable and most likely painful position. But this wasn't anyone else or even Kohaku. This was their baby sister. And from the way it sounded, they were the ones who would shortly end up in a painful position. 

"I'm thoroughly disgusted with the four of you. I-"

"GIVE IT BACK!"

"No!" 

All five turned and raced into the room where they had left the two Kohakus that had arrived at the palace a short while ago. After a short interrogation that found that the Kohakus had no idea how they had gotten this way and could barely remember the battle they had fought, Light had pulled her guardians into the next room to 'talk.' They hadn't thought that there would be any problems, but seeing each Kohaku griping the crystalline katana and pulling it away from the other, they realized that they could have been wrong. 

"It's mine!"

"No it's not, it's mine! Besides what do you need a sword for? You're a total coward!"

"So? At least I'll be a coward with a powerful sword!"

"You're pathetic." Kohaku pulled the sword up hard, wrenching it away from the other's grip and making him fall to the ground. The fallen Kohaku pouted. "And you're mean." 

The 'mean' Kohaku strapped the katana to his side and the 'coward' Kohaku stuck his tongue out at him. 

The guardians looked at Light. 

"I know the four of you aren't looking at me like you expect me to take care of this." She warned, her eyes still on the bickering Kohakus. 

The four turned away very quickly. 

"Now, seeing as you four cannot do anything right, I am going to go search for a way to help Ko and Haku. You are going to take them back to the bathhouse. Got it?" 

They nodded. "Umm… Ko and Haku?" Gaven risked asking. 

"What else do you propose to call them? Haku is the one with the sword and Ko's the one on the ground." She turned to the guardians. "You better not think that I'm done punishing you. I'm just waiting until I come up the best punishment possible." She walked out of the room, leaving paleing guardians in her wake. 

"So…" Kaz started, being the first to gain back his composure. "You're not mad at us are you Koha- uh, Ko? Haku? Not your best buddies in the whole wide world." 

Haku cocked and eyebrow and Ko smiled. 

"Should I be?" "Of course not!"

Zepher forced a smile. "Great, well, we should get going then. Get you back home and all." 

The guardians were nearly a hundred feet above the palace (aka their own personal chamber of doom) before they realized that Ko and Haku weren't with them. 

"What's the matter?" Akiro growled as they landed. He was not happy at being yelled at when he had wanted to stay and fight. 

"Haku can't-" "Shut up Ko." 

Well, at least they'd taken to their new nicknames. 

"Haku can't what?" Gaven asked. 

Ko shifted uncomfortably as Haku glared at him. "I can fly, but I can't turn into a dragon." He explained instead. 

"So….?" Zepher was confused. 

"Wait. Are you saying that Haku can turn into a dragon, but can't fly?" Kaz asked. 

Ko glanced nervously at Haku who was glaring at the ground. Ko nodded. 

"Great! Just great! We've got a flying human and a grounded dragon! What could possibly be more convenient?" Akiro spat bitterly. 

"How'd you guys get here in the first place?" 

"We-" "Shut up already Ko!"

"No! I want to talk! You can't keep me from talking to my friends anymore!" Ko stuck his tongue out at his counterpart again before turning back to the guardians. 

"We walked most of the way. That's why it took so long. When we got to the ocean Haku swam and I flew. He wouldn't let me even try to carry him." 

Haku growled and Ko edged away from him a bit. 

"So what are we going to do now?" Zepher asked. 

"You think?" Gaven said. 

"We have to." Akiro nodded. 

"I'll get the stuff." Kaz sighed. 

"No! Please you guys, I hate teleporting!"

"Don't whine Zepher, you know we can't do it without you." 

"But Akiro!"

"Stop it."

Kaz came back with 'the stuff' and the three of them set it up in a circle around Ko and Haku. Even as he joined the circle and rose his own fire light to meet the lights of his brothers, Zepher sighed. 

"I hate teleporting!" 

***

Kawa-kami was not a happy river god. 

He squinted as he looked down at the paper. Was that a 6 or a 3? 

Ugh! Why couldn't the boy have finished with Yubaba's books before he decided to take his cute little girlfriend out? 

And how had he gotten stuck doing them instead?

His attention (which really hadn't been all that focused on the books anyway) was quickly diverted by the small magical spark that appeared in the center of the room. 

A flash and Light's guardians were standing in Kohaku's bedroom. Two other boys, both looking a little bit like Kohaku were unconscious in the center of their circle. 

"Thank gods! They're knocked out!"

"C'mon Kaz. Kohaku's not that bad." 

"I wasn't talking about Kohaku. I like Kohaku. I was talking about the halves from hell."

Gaven sighed. 

"Zepher, are you okay?" Akiro asked the slightly green fire guardian who shook his head and plopped down onto the floor. 

"Hey Kawa-kami!" Kaz turned to address the old spirit. 

"Hello." Kawa-kami greeted him as he moved closer to their circle, quite confused. 

"I suppose you're wondering what we're doing here. Well it's nothing major, we're just dropping off your apprentice-es…" Kaz explained. 

"Those boys, they're both Kohaku?" Kawa-kami asked, not quite believing the guardians. 

Gaven nodded and turned both river spirits so that Kawa-kami could see their faces. 

The river god took in a harsh breath. "How did this happen?"

Kaz shrugged. "We dunno. Neither of them seem to remember."

Akiro hit Kaz over the head, which sent the wind guardian off to pout in the corner. "He was in a fight. His opponent did this to him. Light is looking for something to help. She's probably in the library right now." He amended. 

Kaz glared at Akiro but Kawa-kami nodded. "Besides the obvious then is he alright?"

Kaz brightened. "For the most part, but he does have a splitting headache…"

All conscious in present company choose to ignore the really bad pun except Akiro who gave his fellow guardian another hit upside the head. 

"We're calling them Ko and Haku right now. Haku's the one with the katana. They had a fight over it earlier. Haku's got serious attitude and Ko...well…Ko's a brat."

Kawa-kami just nodded, some more evil and devious part of his brain was far more concerned about which one of them he should wake up to finish Yubaba's books since she absolutely had to have them…

"We'll move them into the other room. You know it might not be the best idea for them to stay in this room… and since you seem busy anyway…"

Darn it!

***

Light sighed as she tucked away a bauble and summoned another forth. Researching through the library was faster this way, but also more straining. 

She rejected the bauble she was holding and summoned yet another forth. All the knowledge that she had accumulated during her lives was stored here, shelved and categorized for her to flip through on a whim. She couldn't possibly keep it all within her while she held corporeal form. 

She rejected that bauble as well and summoned four more to her. How she wished that she could look into his memories for this! He had always been much better with battle techniques than she was. But without his permission, it would be cheating… She really didn't want to resort to asking him, but it was something that seemed very much him…

Her guardians hadn't picked up on it, but her sense was better than theirs. Ko and Haku, but nothing in between. So much of what had made Kohaku himself…where had it gone?

She sent away the four baubles she had summoned, deeming their information useless. Where was the answer? What had happened to her warrior? And why couldn't she fix it?

***

Kawa-kami paced anxiously across the small room. What to do, what to do? Reality had set in and now he had to figure out what to do about Ko and Haku, forget Yubaba's books. Light had sent them to the bathhouse most likely to keep them out of the way, but perhaps she was also hoping that this was simply something that would wear off given enough time. 

THAT would certainly be nice. 

But he still felt that there was some other reason. They would be safer at the house of the moon then they would be here. So why…?

Kawa-kami shook his head, shelving the thought for the moment. Who should he tell? Ko and Haku were obviously vulnerable like this, and despite all their efforts they still weren't 100% certain that there weren't any spies in the bathhouse besides Ai. 

Kawa-kami paled. Ai! How was he going to keep her from finding out? She would have to be sent away…somehow…

He rubbed his temples. He could feel a headache coming on. Yubaba would have to know. There was no way around that, but he wasn't too worried about her. Even if she resented Kohaku she respected the council more. 

*Knock-Knock *

"Hey Kohaku! You in there?"

Kawa-kami froze. Lin. 

"If you don't answer I'm coming in."

Pause. 

"You've got five seconds. Five…four…three…two…"

Kawa-kami did the first thing he could think of. He pulled the door open, yanked Lin into the room and slid it shut again. 

"Hey what's the big idea? And why are you in Kohaku's room?" Lin demanded hands on her hips. 

Kawa-kami made a shushing motion. "Quiet. That's not important."

Lin looked skeptically at the river god. "Whatever. Where's Kohaku? Is he back yet?" 

Kawa-kami hesitated, but nodded. 

"So where is he?" She asked. 

Kawa-kami made another shushing motion, looking around the room nervously. "He's here. He's here…or rather they're here…"

"What are you talking about old man?" Lin was confused. Who on earth were 'they'?

Kawa-kami sighed. "Perhaps you should see for yourself." 

He led her quietly over to a small door in the corner of the room and opened it to continue along the servants' passage. Lin ducked under a spider web that had formed in the little used hall and wondered what all the secrecy was for. 

"Here." Kawa-kami declared, knocking on one of the wall panels, causing it to fall backwards. Lin gaped. 

"I didn't know that this was here." 

"Few do." He answered her making his way into the other room. Lin stumbled in after him. 

"Okay." She stated brushing herself off. "Why is Kohaku here and why did we have to go through all…that…." She trailed off. There were two identical Kohakus sleeping quietly in the center of the room. 

"What…what happened?" She breathed. 

"He was injured in a fight." Kawa-kami answered, solemn at the sight of his halved apprentice. 

"But…but how?"

"We don't know yet. Light is working on finding a solution as we speak." 

"But…" Lin turned on the old spirit. "Sen said that the guardians came and got Kohaku. That he went with them." 

Kawa-kami nodded. 

"Then how did this happen? Why didn't they save him?"

The river god looked away. "From what they told me their opponent threatened Light. Kohaku told them to go and they left."

"That's not good enough!" Lin yelled, the control she'd had over her emotions breaking, "She's Light, she would have been fine! She is fine isn't she? And Kohaku's the one who's hurt and they don't know how to fix and they probably don't care…and this is all their fault!" Lin yelled. Kawa-kami shushed her again. "Come now, it wasn't like they wanted Kohaku to get hurt. They all care about him very much. As guardians, it's their duty to protect Light, and Light alone. They cannot be concerned about the safety of this world when she's in danger. That is why they chose Kohaku, to protect this world when they cannot." 

"I don't care! He's too young for this. He's not ready… He's not…" Lin was holding back tears. This was the first time since Kohaku had come to the bathhouse that he'd come back injured in a fight. At least, that she knew about. 

"You know that's not true. You don't need to get so upset. Kohaku is going to be fine." 

"He'd better be." Lin answered, sniffling. 

"Come now, I believe the boy is too stubborn to succumb to something like this." 

Lin nodded, once again looking at the two Kohaku's on the floor. "I know he is. But I worry because he's stubborn about a lot of things, but I don't think that death is one of them. And when he does things like this…" She shook her head. "I just don't know what we would all do if he really left us like that. Annoying little brat that he is… I'd really miss him. But sometime I get the feeling that he just wants to give up. I don't know why…" 

"You don't need to worry about things like that yet my dear. So don't. Kohaku will be fine and you can yell at him as much as you want when we put him back together again. Until then, I'd like to ask your opinion on something."

Lin wiped away the tears from her eyes as if she didn't know how they had gotten there. "Shoot."

"I was thinking that they should see Sen, but I don't know how she'd take it. They might have to be secluded for a while depending on whether we can get Ai away for a while…"

Lin's eyes widened. "Oh gods…Ai!"

Kawa-kami nodded. "I'm going to speak to Yubaba about it, but do you think Sen will be able to handle this?"

Lin nodded immediately. "Of course. She's Sen and he's Kohaku no matter what."

Kawa-kami smiled slightly at the answer and nodded. 

***

"Ugh…"

"Your head hurts?"

Haku looked down his nose at his counterpart, who regarded him curiously. 

"No, I'm groaning because it feels splendid!" He spat in return. Why did he have to deal with this idiot so early in the morning? 

"My head hurts too." Ko admitted, oblivious to the sarcasm. 

Haku sighed. "So, where is everybody?"

"I don't know." Ko shook his head. "This isn't our room, but no one has come in here yet." 

"Can you sense Kawa-kami?" 

Ko closed his eyes. "Yes." He answered. "He's upstairs talking to Yubaba. You can't sense him?" He tilted his head to the side and blinked curiously. 

"I thought we went over this already. You've got the magic, I've got the fighting skills." 

"I know…I just kind of thought that I would check…"

Haku snorted. "You would think something like that." 

Ko looked slightly hurt. "Please don't be mad at me." 

"'Please don't be mad at me.'" Haku mocked. "Why shouldn't I be mad at you? This whole thing is all your fault! If you had just dodged…It's just all your fault!"

"No it's not!" Ko returned. "Because-because I'm you and you're me and therefore this is your fault!"

"What kind of argument is that?"

"An intelligent one!"

Haku glared and Ko attempted to glare back, but he just really wasn't that good at it. Haku finally rolled his eyes and stood up walking towards the door. 

"Where are you going?" Ko asked, any trace of anger he had at his other half completely forgotten. 

"I'm going to go find something to eat." 

Ko blinked. "Wait for me!" 

***

Kawa-kami scowled at his apprentices. What had happened to Kohaku when he split that made him completely forget the idea of keeping a low profile?

Apparently being halved made you hungry, because he had found the two of them making a very conspicuous mess in the kitchens and being none too quiet about it. Thank Light that nobody had noticed before he got the two of them out of there….

If he had a physical heart, it would have probably stopped beating when he found Ko and Haku had left the safe room. He had warded the room when he and his apprentice had come to the bathhouse to be used for private discussions and communications with Light because they didn't know who in the bathhouse was watching them. After he had dragged the two of them out of the kitchens (but not before they both scarfed down a considerable amount of food) Ko had apologized meekly, looking deathly afraid of punishment. Haku on the other hand had scoffed at the idea that he could be in danger and said:

"Worry about the wimp. I can take down anyone who gets in my way."

Well, it was quite obvious which of them had gotten Kohaku's ego. No…that wasn't right. Kohaku didn't really have an ego. It was…pride maybe? Confidence? Haku just seemed absolutely certain that he could defeat anyone he needed to. But Ko seemed equally sure that if he himself ever got in a fight, he would lose. It was interesting…Where did Kohaku himself lie amongst that spectrum of absolute confidence and paralyzing fear?

Oh well, it didn't really matter right now. 

"So, I've told Lin to bring up Chihiro."

The reaction was instant.

"Yay!" "You WHAT?!"

There was a knock at the door. 

"Kawa-kami? You ready for us?" Lin asked. 

"Sure, come in."

Ko looked excited. Haku looked like he couldn't decide whether he wanted the floor to swallow him, or if he wanted to kill someone. 

The door slid open and Kawa-kami noticed with some amusement that the two took up almost an identical posture. 

Lin entered the room first, followed by a very confused Chihiro. The younger girl stopped dead when she saw the two Kohakus. 

"What happened?" She asked, like a lot of people seemed to have been doing lately. 

"It's nothing to worry about. It just happened in the fight. Light's looking for an answer right now." Haku answered before anyone else could. 

"You promised me that you would be okay." 

Haku shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to answer. 

"In time, we will be." Ko answered instead. 

Chihiro started to walk forward hesitantly. She stopped a foot from them. 

"Are you okay?"

Neither of them could look at her, because neither knew the answer. 

Both were then shocked to find her hugging both of then as best she could at one time. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

Ko and Haku glanced at each other and hugged her back. 

"So are we." 

***


	11. All the King's Horses and all the King's...

* * *

Author's Notes

Sorry this took so long everyone but during May I had finals and driver's ed classes for two hours a night three nights a week so there really wasn't much time for this. And since summer started I started summer school. I'm taking one of these junk courses my high school requires for graduation but that I can't fit into my schedule during the year. But thank you for all of the reviews! I've never had so many reviews on any fic before. I might actually get to one hundred!

Review Responses 

Kerei Kitsune - interesting good interesting bad, interesting where the heck are you going with this? Thanks for your review.

Mitsuko Maxwell - I'm glad you think it's cute. I know I'm kind of going off into the deep end of weirdness with this but hang on, I do have a plan.

escawing - Thank you! I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Life kept getting in the way.

dAfOoNi - I'm actually fifteen. I'm old for my grade because my birthday is in October. Thanks! I love knowing I have potential better than I like knowing that what I wrote was good because potential means I can get better.

Tsukomi - Thank you! I love being able to write Kohaku in plural.

The Clueless - Thanks for your review! I know, I do miss Kohaku but the whole character development plot thing insists this happen.

GoldenRat - Thank you! Someone got it! Yes, part of Kohaku is missing, take note of the first little section of this chapter.

baka-onna2003 - Yes, Ko is the brattish one. He just kind of wants to dump his problems on everyone else so he doesn't have to deal with it. I'm sorry it took so long to update.

Lady Tetsu-Maru - Why did Kohaku split? Good good question. Stick around for the answer!

Jessica - Sorry, Kohaku's not getting back together yet.

Lady Moon3 - Yeah, I like Haku better too just because he's more fun to write. What does the enemy have to gain from this? Well, two Kohaku's wasn't exactly what they were intending.

Einstein09 - Yes, this story is on dozens of bits of paper. It's actually kind of sad, I don't even know where some of them are. And when I went through my school papers, I found all this other stuff I had written about the story. Yes, sad.

Katana Midori - Sorry! I didn't mean to do a cliffhanger. I'm also sorry about taking so long to update. I'll try to do better next time.

Kira R. Chan - That's so nice of you! Thanks so much.

jia - well, this chapter was asap, unfortunately that was two months time.

Ukchana - Thank you for your review! This story kind of continues as I think of worse things to put Kohaku through. I think he's died or almost died three times already? I actually didn't know that was what 'Ko' meant, which makes me feel kind of stupid but thanks so much for telling me!

Theresa L'Anne - Here you are, sorry this chapter is a bit short.

Linay - Thank you! Everything I write is driven on some odd idea that popped into my head. I know that the writing isn't always the best, but I do try on the imagination end.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away. But maybe for my birthday...

* * *

Chapter 11: All the King's Horses and all the King's Men

"Where am I?"

"You're nowhere. You're everywhere. You are a million worlds away, you are as close as your own mind."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about whatever you want me to talk about."

"Fine. I want you to talk about how I get out of here!"

"You can't do that."

"What?"

"You have to wait for now."

"I understand...I think...."

"But you have the will to change that."

"Huh?"

"You have the will to do anything."

"Then why can't I leave?"

"Because you don't want to yet."

"What are you talking about?"

* * *

Somewhere within the past two days of being worried out of her mind about Kohaku Chihiro had decided something. She needed a direction. Running around like a chicken with its head cut off wasn't helping her make sense of anything people were telling her. Honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. So she had decided that she needed to talk care of Kohaku. That was what Kawa-kami had basically told her before, right? And she decided that she had to talk to him about the whole lost spirit incredible power warrior for the council thing. She couldn't imagine dealing with that, and if Kawa-kami was right, if Kohaku didn't know yet, well then she wanted to be there for him when he found out.

Still, coming to all of these wonderful conclusions hadn't helped the fact that Kohaku was gone and Ai was breathing down her neck.

Then Lin had told her he was back and she was happy, but she had kind of wondered why he hadn't come to see her first. But then she had gone up with Lin to see him and then...

Kohaku had been split in two. Chihiro didn't know how she knew, seeing two Kohakus could have just meant that he had been cloned or something. Except...it didn't feel like Kohaku. It was a spirit thing. Like how some people smelled a certain way, spirits felt a certain way. Kawa-kami felt like pounding rain, the kind you were afraid you would drown in. Lin felt like an ember, cooling on the outside but still holding in fire. Yubaba felt like gold, looking warm and inviting but cold to the touch. Kohaku felt like...well, like his river. Maybe it was because she had been there before, but Kohaku felt like his river. The two Kohakus, they felt like echos of the real one. But the echos were different.

Chihiro couldn't help but feeling bad for the Kohakus-that-weren't. They were incomplete. She moved forward to hug them.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"So are we." They replied.

* * *

After explaining the whole story to Chihiro, the group settled in, Chihiro sitting between Ko and Haku, facing Lin and Kawa-kami as if the five of them had lined up to do battle.

Kawa-kami cleared his throat. "The most important thing for us to do now," He announced, "is to get Ai out of the bathhouse."

They all nodded their agreement, even Chihiro who still knew little about Ai's espionage.

"But how?" Ko asked.

"Well..." Kawa-kami said, trailing off and looking slightly nervous. Haku's perpetual glare zeroed in on the old spirit.

"I was thinking that one of you could convince her to take a little trip. Maybe insinuate certain things..."

Ko shook his head. "No, I don't think I could do that."

They all turned to Haku.

"Hell no." He growled.

"You don't really have a choice." Kawa-kami answered. "One of you has to do it. We don't have time for coercion and games. If you find it necessary I'll make it an order." Kawa-kami looked back and forth from Ko to Haku. None of them had ever seen the river god so deathly serious. But it was his apprentice's safety after all.

"You can't do that." Ko spoke up suddenly. "We outrank you now. Apprentice or not, we're second only to Light and her guardians."

Haku looked rather smug at this statement, for once proud of his other half. Kawa-kami on the other hand, looked furious. The girls were wisely staying out of the conflict between master and apprentice that seemed to have been carefully avoided until now.

When Kawa-kami spoke his voice was low and dangerous, far from it's usual jovial tone. "If you find the formalities necessary I will have Light herself sign the order. Although I can't see why the both of you are being so pigheadedly stubborn as to refuse to do something to protect your own lives!"

There was quiet after that. Ko looked fearful, more so of his twin who was fuming at his side than Kawa-kami who was sitting across from him.

"Fine." Haku finally spat. "I will go and get the wretched little girl out of the bathhouse."

He stood up, gave one final glare to Kawa-kami and one to Ko, silently telling him to stay put, and left the room. The others sat quietly in his wake.

Chihiro slowly reached for Ko's hand as Lin and Kawa-kami also rose to leave. They were both quiet long after the other two had left. There seemed very little to say.

"Chihiro? Will you promise me something?" Ko asked suddenly, pointedly looking away from her.

She glanced at him, then looked away. "Sure. What is it?"

"Can...can you promise that....that you'll remember for me? Like before? Just in case I forget?" He turned and looked at her imploringly.

Chihiro blinked. "Of course!" she answered first. "You mean like how you forgot your name?" She couldn't look at him as she asked the question. It was just so odd. Kohaku had never asked her for help before. He had accepted her help, and he had helped her a lot in return. And while she did want to help him, it was disorienting to have their roles reversed so suddenly. She usually depended on him.

"Yes, like that, but more." Ko gestured, lifting their still joined hands up as he did. Chihiro then realized just how long they'd been sitting there together, alone, holding hands, and she couldn't help blushing lightly.

"More?"

"Yes. I-I'm afraid that I'm going to forget everything. Not just my name this time."

"But...why?"

Ko pulled his knees to his chest and laid his head down to look at her. "There's a darkness." He whispered. "I feel it when I sleep. I feel it more when Haku's far away, like now. But I don't know if he feels it yet. I'm afraid it's going to swallow me."

Ko was silent for a moment, and Chihiro was shocked to see tears coming from his eyes. He brushed them aside quickly. "Just water." He murmured to himself as he looked at the moisture on his free hand. He took a deep, but shaky breath.

"I don't want to go back to the darkness. I remember the darkness. It hurts."

Chihiro watched him for a few minutes, trying to process the idea the Kohaku, who was always the defender, the warrior, the one who knew all the answers, was not the one that needed to be defended.

She hugged him.

"It's okay." She murmured. "I'll remember. I promise."

Ko cried.

"You'll be fine. I promise. I'll remember."

And Chihiro felt like crying with him.

* * *

Haku stormed through the corridors. If he had retained any of their magic in the split he would have had a miniature thundercloud following him by now.

Where on earth was Ai? And what possessed Yubaba to have a bathhouse with so many stupid floors?

"Oh Kohaku-darling!"

Haku cringed at the noise, the smirked. Well, how fortunate for him...

"Ai...dear..." He almost chocked on the affectionate term. But it did have the desired effect. She giggled and batted her eyelashes. "Just the person I was looking for." He continued.

"Oh really?" She asked coyly, standing next to him until he offered her his arm and they began walking out onto one of the balconies.

"Yes, you see, the ocean spirit Kasumi is holding a party to celebrate our victory over the separatists, but I won't be able to join them for a while. Would you mind going ahead of me for a bit?" Haku regurgitated the story Lin had fed him moments before.

Ai looked positively gleeful.

"But of course Kohaku-darling. Would I be wrong to assume I will be acting as your mistress?" She batted her eyelashes and missed Haku's cringe.

"Yes." He answered. "You'll do it then?"

"I would love to-"

"Good. Then get packing."

Haku stormed back up to his room, glad that at least that was over and wishing death on Kawa-kami. This had to be the prime reason he had never taught him how to make people spontaneously combust.

* * *

Ko was still in "his" room. Chihiro had left a bit ago to get them something to eat. Haku too, if he came back. He hummed quietly to himself as he waited. His breakdown had passed and he was cheered by the fact that Chihiro now knew at least some of his predicament and by the fact that Haku was coming back and that he no longer seemed to be in such a foul mood. Sure, foul was the usual mood of Haku, but compared to what it had been before it was better.

He turned and smiled as he felt Haku on the other side of the door. The door slid open.

"Keh. What are you so happy about?" Haku walked in and sat down next to Ko.

"Oh, nothing really." Ko kept smiling. He couldn't help it. He didn't feel like being scared when he had Haku and Chihiro to help him.

Haku looked at him suspiciously. Ko blinked, wondering what the scrutinizing look was for.

"You've been crying." Haku stated simply. Ko rubbed under his eyes reflexively. "No I haven't."

"You're such a weakling. I guess I should expect that kind of behavior from you by now."

"Mmm Hmm." Ko responded, not wanted Haku to get mad about his little breakdown.

Unfortunately this only served to make Haku more suspicious.

"What did you tell her?" Haku demanded.

Ko looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Haku grabbed his other half roughly by the collar of his shirt. "What did you tell her?"

"Just...just that I wanted her to remember for me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid I'm going to forget. Because of the darkness...!"

"Shut up!" Haku yelled. Ko fell silent.

"Why did you do that?" Haku's voice shook. Ko didn't answer, which was probably the wisest choice he could have made considering the situation.

"You're worrying her and you're exposing our secrets. You don't know who could have been listening."

Ko's eyes went wide. "You feel it too then? The darkness-"

"Of course I do! ....Gods! I just can't believe you were this stupid!"

"But if you feel it too why didn't you tell me? Why do you insist on being alone? Why do you make me be alone?" Ko was yelling now, pleading with his other half for some kind of answer.

Haku glared back, but Ko had finally found his argument.

"Why do you hate me?"

"Why are you so weak?"

"Why do you hate yourself?"

"Why don't you realize we have to protect them?"

"Why can't you trust them then?"

"Why can't you keep your big mouth shut?"

Ko froze and looked towards the door. "Chihiro's outside." He whispered.

Haku released him. "Don't say anything to her. Or anyone else. You hear me? Anything."

Ko nodded.

Haku got up and left, brushing past Chihiro on his way out.

"Haku?" She asked, turning as quickly as she could balancing the tray she was carrying with their meals on it.

But Haku was already gone.

* * *

Night had fallen, and the restaurants outside the bathhouse had come alive with soft lights and delicious smells. Haku weaved through the other spirits, forgetting his problems by filling his head with the chatter of the busy streets. His cloak was drawn low over his face. Being recognized as the warrior for the council usually got him into a situation he didn't want to be in; whether because of people praising him or arguing with what Light was doing. Either way he really didn't want to hear their political opinions. Strange that his disguise had been a present from Kaz, who knew nothing about the word 'incognito'.

"Would you like your fortune told young man?"

Haku turned to see an spirit in the form of an ancient woman reaching forward, asking for gold as she offered her services.

"No." He answered and began to walk away, but her gnarled hand clutched onto the hem of his cloak.

"You don't feel that you have need of the future halfling?" Haku's eyes flashed and he quickly yanked his cloak from her grasp as he began walking as quickly as he could away from the old woman and the alley she had appeared out of. He wanted to run, but he also didn't want to raise the suspicions of everyone else on the street. He didn't need any more attention then he had just been given.

How had the old woman known? Could everyone tell? His eyes quickly scanned the streets. No one seemed to be paying him any extra attention. Still, he would have felt much better if he could have at least put up a shield. But since Ko had gotten all of their magical powers, he couldn't even mask his aura, let alone see if anyone else was trying to read it.

He didn't like Ko. Didn't like that he was so weak, didn't like that he had so much of their power, didn't like that without him nearby he felt weak.

And Ko didn't understand. How could Haku not feel the darkness? And how could it not frighten him? At least he didn't go crying about it. What did the idiot honestly think he was doing scaring Chihiro like that? It was their job to protect everyone, especially Chihiro. They were suppose to be strong, not dump their worries on everyone else! That was the golden rule after all. It didn't matter what everyone else thought about him, it didn't matter what he felt, what he wanted, as long as they were safe. Everything else came second. No, it didn't even come second, because it was insignificant compared to the safety of the ones he cared about.

Haku stopped and watched the spirits depart form the large ferry that took them from the bathhouse banks to the opposite shore where another city was. He had never been to the city across the water so he didn't know the name of it. It was a transit city, a city where spirits frequently crossed over from the physical world into the spirit one or vice-versa. He had been to a few transit cities during his wandering year, but in general he avoided them. They just brought up bad memories.

He started to walk back. He was still mad, but he no longer felt so ready to bubble over. He couldn't ever remember having so little control over his emotions. But he knew that being near Ko would make him feel a little better. They were a matching set after all, as much as he hated the idiot at times. Ko was probably miserable by now though, maybe even teary again just because they'd fought. And maybe because Haku had never been this far away from his other half before.

Haku was about half way to the bathhouse when the screaming started.

"Attack! We're under attack!"

"What is that thing?!"

"Someone help!"

Haku touched his sword lightly and began running. How wonderful, he was being given a chance to work out his anger.

He stopped short as he reached the bathhouse and saw the large looming black shape standing over him.

Oh yes, this was absolutely _splendid_.

* * *

"No...no that can't be it." Light whispered to herself, still curled up comfortably in the library. She had been searching for a long time, and was rather fatigued because of it, but that wasn't important just then.

"Will it even work?" She asked the nothingness that surrounded her and the small glowing orb she held in her hand, even though she knew they could give her no answered.

A tear fell down her cheek. "I hadn't realized he was this unstable."

A few more tears fell. She brushed them away.

"What am I going to do?"

* * *


	12. Couldn’t Put Him Back Together Again

Author's Notes

I'm scaring myself. It's been less than a month since I posted the last chapter and already I'm posting this one. Oh well, I've got some writer's block for thirteen, so I'm not worried about suddenly finishing this. You should all be grateful for my friend Stephanie though, she's the only one who keeps me working on this fic and not the sequel I have in mind.

Disclaimer: I own Light, her guardians, Tomoe, Ai, Joe, umm, the idea for this story, miscellaneous small characters and nothing else.

* * *

**I can't believe I got over 100 reviews, I love you guys!**

To the Reviewers:

**Kira R. Chan** - Answers ahead in this chapter. I actually wanted to keep you all in the dark, but it had to happen here.

**Linay** - Thank you very much, I try.

**Kute Anime Kitty** - I was actually wondering where your review for chapter ten was, I was afraid that you had stopped reading or something. You have my permission to quote whatever you want. Light's reason for being upset? Next chapter.

**Kerei Kitsune** - Thank you! I think I know where I'm going with this, let's hope I know where I'm going with this.

**Master Elora Dannan** - Your review amused me greatly! Yes, that's exactly the way Kohaku is!

**Mitsuko Maxwell** - Yes! That's actually one of the reasons I wanted to split Kohaku in half to better illustrate his inner conflict. And it was fun.

**Rosette Christopher** - Thanks! It's always great to know that people are reading.

**Katana Midori** - Yeah, expect a lot more cliffhanger type endings now that we're getting toward the end. I am sorry again about how late the chapter was. I would never intentionally leave this story and my wonderful reviewers like you to rot.

**velf** - Really? Thank you!

**taichi rules** - Thanks! I would be interested in seeing how another author went about splitting a character but I've only seen seasons 1, 2, and 3 of digimon so if the fanfic you speak of isn't within one of those I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to understand it. Otherwise I would love to know where to find it.

**GoldenRat **- Yes, things would be much better if Ko and Haku confided in Chihiro. Why won't they listen to such good advice? I don't really know. Something to do with their pride and wanting to protect her I'd imagine.

**The Clueless** - Sorry for the confusing-ness! If you have any specific questions feel free to ask! And if it's just me trying desperately not to let you readers in on my plans yet...well...

**Wigi **- Thank you! Working very hard I promise I am!

**Jessica** - Answers ahead, I promise!

**baka-onna2003** - my self preservation instinct told me that I should probably update. Actually I had this chapter done (written out) a few days ago but I got your review and found time to type it today. Odd coincidence, no?

* * *

**Chapter 12: Couldn't Put Him Back Together Again**

* * *

Haku looked up at the looming figure of the Ketsuraku. Why did it have to be a Ketsuraku? As if his day wasn't bad enough!

The Ketsuraku made a swipe at him, he dodged it and rolled away. He could remember dealing with these things before, and the easiest way to get rid of them was magic...

It took another swipe at him. He dodged again and drew the crystalline katana from its sheath. Right now he was really really glad he hadn't let Ko have it.

"Haku!"

Speak of the darkness.

Haku turned to see Ko, leading Chihiro, running toward him.

"No, you idiot! What are you doing?! Get away from here!"

While he was yelling this, Haku was tuned away from the Ketsuraku, which turned out to be a mistake he would not soon repeat. The Ketsuraku hit him, sending him flying through the air and into Ko and Chihiro. The three of them landed in a heap next to a slap of the bathhouse roof the Ketsuraku had torn off earlier. As soon as they untangled themselves Haku pulled them behind it, sheltering them from the Ketsuraku who was, thankfully, currently distracted.

"What were you thinking?" Haku hissed at Ko, quietly so as not to draw the Ketsuraku's attention, but with more than enough venom to get his point across.

"We came to find you." Chihiro spoke up instead. "We didn't mean to get involved in the fight."

Haku turned to look at Chihiro. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe.

"We need to get you out of here." He finally said opening his eyes.

The Ketsuraku tore off the bathhouse door. There was a lot of screaming as spirits scurried away from the giant shadow monster peaking inside like a child would look into a doll house.

"Okay," Haku said slowly. "Scratch that idea." He started to get up. "Both of you stay here."

"Can't we help?" Chihiro asked, grabbing onto his sleeve as he turned to leave.

"You can help by staying here where I don't have to worry about you as much." He gently pulled his sleeve away and moved out from behind their shelter to face the Ketsuraku.

Chihiro turned back to Ko. "Why don't you go help him?" She demanded.

Ko was sitting as close as he could to the roof slab, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I-I want to. But I'm-I'm _scared_." He whispered.

Chihiro dropped the scornful look she'd been giving him. She couldn't blame him for being scared. She was scared. It only made sense that in situations like this, some part of Kohaku was too. It was just really inconvenient that that part had to be the only part able to use magic at the moment.

She looked up at the Ketsuraku, barely visible against the night sky. She couldn't see Haku because of the size of the roof slab.

"What is that thing?" She asked, still looking up at it in awe and fear.

"It's a Ketsuraku." Ko answered her. "They're pretty rare. They're anomalies that happen when a tainted human soul is passing on and manages to resist the call of the dark ones."

"Tainted soul? Call of the dark ones? Do mean people who are going to hell?" Chihiro asked.

Ko shrugged. "I think so. I'm not really familiar with the human views of the afterlife."

Chihiro nodded. Now was not the best time to launch into what would most likely be a very long explanation on would religions and their concepts of the afterlife. Not to mention that she, who had not been raised with any certain religion, was probably not the best person to explain it.

"Is he okay?" She asked tentatively. She knew that Ko could sense his counterpart, so he would know if Haku was injured or losing of lying in a puddle of his own blood with no one there to help him, right?

But Ko shook his head. "There's too many emotions running through. It's like a human adrenaline rush. I can't tell his actual condition. But he should be fine. Even though Ketsuraku are weak against magic, he's got the crystalline katana." Ko sat bolt upright, like someone had shocked him. "I've got an idea!" he answered the confused looking Chihiro excitedly.

"Haku!" He yelled as he stood up, his fear apparently forgotten in the wake of his newfound excitement. "Haku!"

It took Haku all of two seconds to get behind the roof slab and bop Ko on the head.

"Oww!"

"What did I say about drawing its attention?" Haku hissed.

"I've got an idea though!" Ko protested, rubbing his head.

Haku sighed. "This better be good."

"Give me the katana a moment." Ko ordered, reaching out for it.

Haku looked at Ko suspiciously but set the blade gently into Ko's waiting hands.

Ko closed his eyes and mumbled something. A wisp of turquoise smoke started to wind down the crystal blade, slowly seeping into it and making it glow. Ko stopped, opened his eyes and looked up at his other half. Haku smiled. Ko handed the katana over. Haku looked up and down the gleaming crystal blade.

"Okay," he conceded, "This is a good idea."

Ko grinned. "Go slay the monster."

Haku winked at his twin and once again left the shelter of the roof slab to face the Ketsuraku.

Chihiro, who had very little idea what was going on, simply waited quietly next to a grinning Ko until minutes later, they hear Haku call.

"Ko! Get out hear and seal this thing!"

"'kay!" Ko called back as he ran out from behind the roof slab, painfully obvious in his joy at being needed by his other half.

Chihiro risked taking a peak around the roof rubble and watched in amazement as Ko made a couple of strange signs with his hands and the clouds dropped down out of the sky to bind the fallen shadow giant. Ko made one last sign and the whole thing disappeared.

For a few seconds, Chihiro just stood there, agape.

"Chihiro!" Ko called.

Chihiro shook her head and ran over to join them.

Warrior for the council, that made more sense now.

* * *

"Where were you?" Ko and Haku asked in unison. The two of them and Chihiro had return to the Bathhouse and spent a couple of hours waiting for Kawa-kami and trying not to fall asleep (none of them had yet gotten any sleep and the sun was due to rise soon).

For a brief moment both Chihiro and Kawa-kami just looked at them. It was the first time Ko and Haku had acted at all similar and to hear the same statement spoken with the same inflections by identical voices was just kind of creepy.

Kawa-kami shook his head and smiled in that infuriating way he did when he was going to annoy his young apprentice. "Why, my boys, were you having trouble with the little Ketsuraku? Maybe I should put you both back in training."

The two boys glared at him. Of course, considering that he was identical to Haku, Ko should have been able to glare just like him. But the expression on Ko's face turned out to be more of a pout then a glare. And Kawa-kami just kept smiling.

Chihiro sighed quietly in relief. She had been afraid that the earlier animosity between student and teacher would still be present, but was glad to see that she was wrong.

"I have a message from Light."

Kawa-kami suddenly had their undivided attention.

"Did she find anything?" Ko managed to ask.

Kawa-kami shook his head. "I don't know. She didn't say. She just wants Chihiro to come to the House of the Moon."

Both halflings turned to look at her.

Chihiro blinked. "Me? Why me?"

Kawa-kami shrugged. "She didn't say. She rarely does."

Chihiro bit her bottom lip. Light wanted to see her? Wasn't it intimidating enough for her hanging around with the river god and Yubaba and hearing everyone talk about Kohaku's position? Now they wanted her to go meet the most powerful spirit ever? The one that every spirit she had met revered? She swallowed nervously.

Ko gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry! Light's really nice. Besides, we're coming with you!"

"Really?" Chihiro asked.

"Really?" Kawa-kami asked.

Haku nodded. "Of course. Obviously someone knows where we are, otherwise they wouldn't have sent the Ketsuraku. It's not safe for us to stay here."

Kawa-kami gave them a sideways look.

"You just don't want to be around in the next few days while Yubaba's ranting about the repairs and how much they'll cost."

"Yeah that too." Ko answered sheepishly.

Kawa-kami chuckled. "Very well. The guardians should be here shortly."

Chihiro blinked. "They're coming _now_?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah. It takes some getting use to, but that's just the way that things happen here. Immediately." Ko answered.

The wind started to pick up. Haku sighed. "Here they are. I can't believe they're doing this _again_."

A second later a grey light swept through the window and landed in the middle of the room. A red light followed, then a green light and a blue light. The four guardians materialized.

Kaz stuck out his tongue at his brothers.

"Ha! Told you I would win!"

Zepher shrugged. "You always win."

Gave smiled good-naturedly at the scowling Kaz, who was obviously miffed at having his victory diminished. Akiro rolled his eyes.

"You both are so juvenile."

"And we all know that you're the image of maturity 'kiro." Kaz teased. Akiro glared in return.

Haku cleared his throat and the four guardians turned.

"Are we going to be leaving anytime soon?" Haku asked. "Or are we just going to spend the rest of eternity listening to your bickering?"

The guardians glanced at each other. Kohaku almost never said anything about their squabbling, usually he was part of it himself.

"Yeah, we'll set up." Gaven answered.

The whole thing was kind of surreal for them. The guardians kept exchanging looks with each other even as they traced the large circle on the floor and wrote down the correct symbols to bind it through space-time. Zepher didn't even whine about having to teleport. Things just shouldn't have been that way. Kohaku should be taking their teasing about Chihiro and fighting back and taking her to see Light himself. After they had dropped Ko and Haku off before they had kind of just assumed that Kohaku would be better the next time that they saw him. Light had said something about it wearing off, right? So why weren't things as they should be?

"Okay." Zepher said quietly when they were done.

Chihiro walked into the middle of the circle, Ko and Haku on either side of her like bodyguards.

"You two might want to move away from her incase you pass out again." Kaz advised, uncharacteristically serious but still the only bold enough to correct the rather unstable Haku.

Ko smiled encouragingly at Chihiro and moved away. Haku glared at Kaz but moved away as well.

Akiro was the first to raise his blue water-light. He was followed by Gaven and Kaz who raised their respective green earth-light and grey wind-light. Zepher cringed as he raised his red fire-light to meet the lights of his brothers, encompassing their three charges completely. His brothers smiled.

They knew he hated teleporting.

* * *

"Light-sama, _please_. This is embarrassing."

Light giggled.

"But Touya-chan it looks cute!"

The little bluebird looked down disdainfully at the pink ribbon tied around his neck in a bow.

"I have work to do Light-sama."

Light sighed. "All right Touya-chan. They should be here soon anyway."

The little bird spirit nodded and flitted off. Light strolled quietly through the lily garden. Her hand wandered instinctively to her cloak pocket. Tracing over the smooth glass of the bauble she went ahead and took it out. The multi-colored smoke of thought swirled around inside its glace prison as she reviewed the information inside. It was only slightly less frightening in the light of day.

She sighed again and looked up at the blue sky. Could she even give them this answer? They deserved it, deserved to choose what they wanted to risk, but...

She was being selfish and she knew it. She wanted a safe route. She wanted a guarantee. She wanted to know that she wouldn't end up explaining to Chihiro and Kawa-kami and Zeniba and Lin and her brothers why Kohaku would not only not be whole again, but not be there at all.

She moved to slide the orb back into her cloak pocket.

"Hey! Baby sister! Where are you?"

"Coming!" She shouted back to Kaz.

She rushed off and the orb fell just short of her pocket, bounced softly on the ground and rolled aside, momentarily forgotten.

* * *

There was a swirl of lights and a sense of movement. Chihiro could feel the presence of her companions more acutely with her other senses taken away: the four guardians, each almost overwhelming as they pulsed with the purity of their element, and the shadow presence of Ko and Haku.

Then she was standing in the middle of a quiet garden. She blinked several times, letting her eyes adjust to the daylight.

"Hey! Baby sister! Where are you?" Kaz yelled and Chihiro melted back into reality.

"Coming!" A voice yelled back and at the time Chihiro didn't think about how young it sounded.

Ko and Haku were both lying on the ground, breathing soft and steady. Chihiro's first instinct was panic, but then she remembered Kaz's earlier warning and calmed.

"I'm glad you came."

Chihiro whirled around and stared openly at the little girl who had addressed her. She couldn't have been more than ten. Her raven-black hair seemed impossibly long. When Chihiro was younger she decided that she wanted long hair but couldn't take care of it and eventually cut if off. How did this little girl take care of hair that was down to her ankles? Everything about the little girl made her seem so young, except for her eyes, pale jade full of knowledge and happiness and innocence, and something Chihiro couldn't quite identify.

She tilted her head and smiled and the small teardrop shaped crystal that hung down on her forehead swayed back and forth.

"You're Chihiro, right? I'm Light."

Chihiro nodded slowly. This little girl was Light? The most powerful spirit Light? Kohaku's boss Light? Why had everyone let her get upset and why hadn't they told her that Light was a little girl?

Light giggled and took her hand.

"Come on." She encouraged. "Let's go inside. I have to talk to you."

Chihiro allowed herself to be pulled along as she tried to think of something appropriate to say.

The guardians naturally fell in step behind them. Light turned around.

"You four aren't coming." She scolded. "This is just between girls."

"Say no more!" Zepher declared and the four of them dispersed.

Light smiled up at Chihiro and Chihiro found herself smiling back. The little girl's happiness was just contagious. And the fact that she had just seen a preteen girl tell off four teenage boys was priceless.

Light led her into the large marble temple and into a large airy room. The floor was littered with large pillows and Light let go of her hand to plop down on them, indicating for Chihiro to do the same. Chihiro sat down much more demurely, but made herself comfortable among the sea of oversized pillows.

"How is your visit going?" Light asked.

Chihiro considered that a moment. Both the answer and the sheer oddity of the question considering the circumstances.

"Despite the fact that my best friend has been split in half, not bad."

Maybe it wasn't the most polite answer, or the one that she should have given to the ruler of the spirit world, but Chihiro had had enough with euphemisms.

Light looked down. "Yes. I owe you an explanation about that."

Chihiro shook her head. "No. I don't understand everything that has been going on with Kohaku, but I think it might be better for me to just wait for him to tell me."

Light paused, smiling faintly. "I admire you for being able to overcome your curiosity like that. But...there are things that not even Kohaku can tell you at this point that I think you need to know."

Chihiro swallowed. "Is he in danger? Well, in more danger?"

Light managed an amused smile. "Not directly. We won't know how bad things are until Kohaku comes back."

"But Ko and Haku-"

Light shook her head. "Kohaku was hit by something called the soul whip. The purpose of it is to split the soul of a spirit, and since a half-soul could never survive here, it effectively kills the one it splits."

Chihiro's brow wrinkled. "But Kohaku's not dead."

"And thank the gods for that." A ghost smile appeared on Light's lips. "Kawa-kami told you about Kohaku being a lost spirit, and Zeniba told you about how he suffered to absorb his power, it then falls to me to tell you that the immense amount of power Kohaku holds is tearing him apart. Kohaku is the only one that has been able to hold such power, but sustaining it is slowly destroying him."

Chihiro tried to breathe. "But you can help him, right?"

Light looked away.

"I don't know." She whispered. "We always feared that this would begin to happen to Kohaku, so we tried so hard to get him to use as much magic as he could, even if it was just for doing trivial things. We thought it was working, until now." She paused. "There is nothing that we can do to help him now. But... He might just be able to help himself."

She smiled sadly. "Because he is having trouble holding all of his power it's making him unstable. In a way that has saved him. When he was hit with the soul whip instead of being split his soul was sealed away and his self was split."

"His self? His soul? What's the difference?"

"Soul is consciousness and memories and feelings. Soul is intangible, undefinable. Your self is just the different faces you show to the world, the different facets of your personality. That's what Ko and Haku are. Each of them displays different qualities of Kohaku, but neither truly is."

The whole thing sounded impossible. Chihiro knew that Light wasn't lying to her, but what she was saying just didn't match what she knew of Kohaku. Unstable? Kohaku was one of the most grounded and stable people she knew! But then she remembered Ko crying because of the darkness. That was a part of Kohaku. Ko's fear, Haku's arrogance, Ko's sweet smile and Haku's harsh glare all belonged to Kohaku. And Light was saying that even if they got them back together, and they would get him back together, he would be a danger to himself? Would he be able to face this? Would she be able to help him? 'Lost' had never seemed so appropriate a term for Kohaku.

"How can I help him?" The question came out choked, like her own tongue was getting in the way of what she wanted to say, but Light understood the question.

"You are doing everything in the world for him just by being here. You gave Kohaku back his world five years ago, and because of that he trusts you to do it again."

"But I don't know if I can."

"That's just the thing, it doesn't matter to him. Just you being here is enough to make him feel better. You're very important to him Chihiro."

Chihiro looked down, almost blushing despite everything else and hating herself for it.

"That's why we had to make sure you were going to okay while Kohaku was training."

Chihiro whirled around as the other voice spoke. That sounded an awful lot like, but it couldn't be...

"Tomoe?"

From her position in the doorway Tomoe smiled.

"It's good to see you again Chihiro."

* * *

Haku rubbed the back of his head as he sat up. Why did they have to keep teleporting? Better yet why did they ever have to leave the house of the moon in the first place? He was starting to hate this form of transportation almost as much as Zepher did.

"It'll wear off in a few seconds."

He looked up to see Ko standing over him.

"Not again." He mumbled under his breath. "Do you always have to be so infuriatingly optimistic?" He growled at Ko, more in annoyance than in actual anger.

Ko smiled and sat down next to his other half.

"Haku?" He asked uncertainly, moments later. "Do you...remember things?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Haku asked in return.

"Come on Haku! I'm serious." Ko pleaded.

Haku sighed. "All right. What do you mean? Of course I remember. If I didn't I wouldn't know who I was would I?"

"Not like that." Ko shook his head. "I mean, do you _remember_. Like the way a flower smelled or the way the wind felt or...or anything! For me it's like I have someone's life story memorized. But I didn't live it! I know what happened but I don't have a single image or feeling or anything to go along with it. It's just there. So I have to know, do you remember?"

Haku looked away. "No. It's just like you said. I know but I don't remember."

"We're not Kohaku are we? The one that they all miss so much, that they all care for, it's not us."

Haku's fist clenched. "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think that I want to got back just like you do? It hurts to live. It hurts do know that I'm not who I think I am and I never can be and it hurts because even though sometimes I hate you I know that you're a part of me that I need to survive. But we can't bring Kohaku back on our own. We have to wain until Light finds an answer."

Ko swallowed and pulled out the orb.

"I think she already has."

* * *

A/N

Remember, if there's anything you don't understand, or any inconsistency that you see feel free to ask! I've got explanations for everything (like why Haku said 'hell' last chapter but Ko claims not to know what it is in this chapter) and if I don't have an explanation, I'll make one up!


	13. Blood Sacrifice

Author's Note

Welcome to the tying of many loose ends. Originally this chapter was going to be longer, but I figured I could put a bunch of it into fourteen and get this out sooner. That makes it sound like I have a bunch planned out doesn't it? Well I don't. I know what 14 is about and after that I'm winging it.

* * *

Disclaimer: I have not obtained Spirited Away in the past month, but I'm working on it.

* * *

So many reviews! I love you all!

For Storm-Maker and anyone else who wanted to know, Haku does not know what "hell" actually means, it's a thing that he's picked up from the guardians, who are far more knowledgeable about human culture. That's why he used it but Ko didn't know what it meant.

**Storm-Maker** - Thank you! I answered your question above. And really, begging isn't necessary, but it helps...

**Sakura-Hiwatari** - Yeah, I expected to get way more complaints about Ko then I actually did. The basis of making him a chicken was balancing it with the fact that Haku is basically fearless when it comes to his own life, almost to the point of being suicidal. So Ko has to balance that, but he also doesn't have any aggression, so instead of being just concerned with his general survival he ends up looking like a chicken.

**taichi rules** - Thanks! Yeah I'd love a summary if you find time for it. My email is

**driftingwanderer **- Who ever said Ko and Haku were getting back together? I thought about keeping them like this for the rest of eternity. Don't worry. Read the chapter. I have no clue how many chapters this story will end up having. I'm so horrible but I always know the end of the story, just not how long it's going to take to get there.

**Kute Anime Kitty** - I apologize for questioning your loyalty. Thanks so much for your review! You're on (were on) strike?

**v4n3s5aCH4N** - Thank you!

**Fufa** - Thank you!

**Kerei Kitsune** - Thanks! Yeah, but if it's confusing reading it, how much more confusing would it be in person? If people can be fooled by identical twins, imagine how easy it would be for Ko and Haku, they're more than identical, they're the same person.

**Ukchana **- Scary huh? Good, that was the idea. Romance is more next chapter. But only.. No sorry, I have to remind myself not to give spoilers.

**SamuraiKnight** - Thank you very much. I'm flattered you chose to spend your time reading through the whole thing (it is getting rather long).

**Velf** - Thank you. It's so nice to get compliments like that.

**Shitza** - Thank you! It's always nice to know people won't abandon me. I've got a fickle muse so updates are rather far apart.

**yukari youkai** - All things in good time, but if I didn't keep doing all these horrible things to Kohaku maybe he wouldn't need saving... Oh well!

**Joan **- _blushes_ Thank you! Making the story drag is one of my big fears because of all of the explanations I have to work into it.

**Yahaku-kan** - Thank you! If you're up to this point, Chihiro is fifteen. Kohaku is way older because he's a spirit but physically and for the most part mentally fifteen-ish. Let's hope that I finish this before I die! I promise to look both ways before crossing the street so I don't get hit by a bus.

**Ashes Lady** - Thank you!

**GoldenRat** - Of course! Event this chapter, how next chapter. You'll see what I mean.

**me me me and only me** - Thank you! I know I have a bunch of grammar and spelling things that my spell checker doesn't catch, and one day I plan to go back and fix them. I just know that if I go back and start reading, I'll cringe and start rewriting stuff. So I'm gonna try and finish the story first. But thanks for pointing it out. I am aware that Hikari or Hikaru(I've heard this one used less frequently) is the Japanese equivalent of Light. I chose not to give Light a japanese name because I wanted her to more embody a concept and since the rest of the story is in English, I was afraid that if I did give her a japanese title, it would turn more into a name and people would forget the meaning.

**Hiril Moon** - Oh no. Light will not be happy with the consequences. Thanks for your review!

**Mitsuko Maxwell** - You got it. Well, as much as I do. They are Kohaku, but they're not entirely Kohaku, confusing ne?

**baka-onna2003** - I cower and write in my corner because despite the fact that all three Kohaku's should be able to help me here, they're not happy with me for all the stuff I've put them through. Danny - Good question. Answered this chapter.

**Joker is Poker with a J** - Thank you! I'm always worried about doing too much with Light and the guardians 'cause they're oc's. They're fun to write though. Isn't it comforting that that kind of three ring circus is in charge of the entire spirit world and Kohaku's fate?

**Freaky Person O.o** - Thank you! That's so nice. But please don't kill me yet! I still have chapter fourteen to do! But yeah, I suppose putting two cliffhangers in one chapter wasn't my brightest idea.

**Cereberus** - You're very welcome! Thank you so much for your review and for reading this and for putting up with me!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Blood Sacrifice**

"Your first strike didn't work Djavel."

The sandy-haired teen knelt before a boy younger than himself.

"I am sorry my lord." Djavel apologized, not daring to look up to meet the glowing red eyes of the blond boy that sat on a black marble throne.

The boy laughed. "Don't be. I'm not."

Djavel looked up. "But my lord-"

The boy shrouded in shadows waved a hand in dismissal. "You misunderstand me. Things will simply be more interesting this way. What amusement would I derive from simply watching you conquer? No, it will be better this way."

"Yes my lord."

The boy shooed him away. "You're dismissed."

Djavel stood, bowed, and exited the room.

The boy that was Darkness sat back and fiddled casually with the folds of his cloak as he smiled to himself.

"We will see each other again shortly love, won't we? I know that after this you couldn't stay away. I could come for you, but it's so much more fun to make you come to me. You and your little lapdogs. I'll wait for you. But not for too long. Come soon love, I'll wait, but the game won't."

* * *

"Tomoe?"

From her position in the doorway Tomoe smiled.

"It's good to see you again Chihiro."

Chihiro sprang to her feet. "How did you get here?" She demanded. Had Tomoe followed her like her parents had? Would she insist on staying too? It wasn't safe for them here!

Tomoe laughed at the panicked expression on her friend's face, and it was only then that Chihiro noticed that Tomoe was draped in silks much in the same fashion that Light was.

Chihiro's brow wrinkled in confusion. What was going on?

It was then that Light rose as well. "If you'll excuse me then, I believe there is much you two need to discuss and I need to speak with my brothers anyway. I'll meet up with you two later if you have any more questions." She smiled at the still stunned Chihiro and exchanged a look with Tomoe as she bounced out of the room.

Tomoe walked over to Chihiro. "Sit." She ordered, as she did so herself. Chihiro did so obediently.

"Now," Tomoe began, arranging the folds of her robes around her. "Where do you want me to begin?"

Questions swirled through Chihiro's head, many that she didn't even feel she could articulate.

"How did you get here?" She settled on asking.

Tomoe visibly flinched. "I went through the barrier."

Chihiro sighed. "Tomoe..."

"All right." She answered. "I was really hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this." She took in a deep breath. "Chihiro, I'm not human."

Chihiro blinked in confusion, and some weird detached part of herself couldn't help but think that she had heard that line before in some alien movie.

"Then-what are you?" The words came out haltingly.

Tomoe blink in surprised and laughed again. "I'm a spirit! Really what did you think?"

Chihiro looked away sheepishly. "So, what were you doing in the human world?"

"I was there to protect you."

"Huh? Why" Chihiro asked.

Tomoe shook her head. "Maybe I should start at the beginning. I was- _am_ - a spring spirit. I'm a really minor spirit, and I haven't even completely mastered basic elemental control. So I was really surprised when Light approached me five years ago about a stay in the human world. She needed someone to pretend to be a human teenager in order to watch over you."

"But....why me?" Chihiro asked, taking the fact that her friend was a spirit much better than Tomoe originally thought she would.

"Because of your relationship to Kohaku of course!"

"But-but! Kohaku didn't even know Light five years ago, did he? I thought he only became warrior for the council three years ago."

"That's right. But Light knew of Kohaku long before that. Surviving lost spirits are usually closely monitored by the council and after Kohaku managed to absorb his power....well, you can guess what an uproar it caused."

Chihiro nodded. "But why did they need to have you watch over me? What kind of danger would I have been in?"

"At that point and time Kohaku was really having a hard time trying to find himself after ending his apprenticeship with Yubaba. He had been unintentionally isolated, so there were no guarantees that we had his loyalty. It was still possible that he could be persuaded to the dark side. And because of his relationship with you... they feared that if you were taken or threatened Kohaku would go willingly. Light knew that they needed to have a check over that and so I was sent to guard you."

Chihiro nodded slowly. "So...how did you get to the human world? If not even Kohaku can cross over..."

Tomoe managed to look a bit miffed. "I may not be super powered like your boyfriend-"

"Tomoe!"

Tomoe smirked. "-but I'm not totally defenseless."

"So...how did you do it?" Chihiro asked again.

"It wasn't really anything I did, because Light sent me through the barrier but actually because I don't rank high on the power scale it was easier for me to get through."

"Kohaku couldn't get through that way then?"

"That's so cute! You want to take him home with you!" Tomoe teased.

"No...that 's not what I meant!" Chihiro responded, blushing.

Tomoe giggled. "No, he'd have to send himself through the barrier, but I'm no expert on the subject. You'd have to talk to Light about that."

Chihiro nodded and began chewing absentmindedly on her lower lip. "Then-" she started to ask, "why did you agree to do it?"

Tomoe shrugged. "It was a change to be of service to Light, and to see the human world from another perspective. Why not?"

Chihiro looked away. "Then-were you really my friend or was it just your job?"

"Chihiro!" Tomoe moved forward and hugged her. "Of course you're really my friend! My job was only to watch out for you, not to befriend you or help you or tell you secrets or keep yours or gossip or giggle or, or anything. I didn't that or my own accord."

Chihiro hugged Tomoe and gently pulled away.

"Oh Tomoe...what am I gonna do? I'm so lost here. I want to help Kohaku, but I don't know how. And Tomoe, my parents are here!"

Tomoe couldn't help smiling. "I know."

"How do you know?"

"I went to your house after you kind of hung up on me-"

"Sorry!"

"That's okay- Anyway your parent's tennis stuff was there and so was the car, but they weren't. After that I kind of put two and two together and followed the trial of paper cranes."

"What do you mean trail of paper cranes? Weren't there only a few?" Chihiro asked, visibly confused.

Tomoe looked at Chihiro like she was growing horns. "What are you talking about? They were all over your house Chihiro!"

"Oh..." She smiled. "Kohaku made all of those paper cranes just to get me back here?"

"Uh-huh." Tomoe drawled. "And why do you think that is?"

Chihiro was looking everywhere but at Tomoe. "Because...we're friends?"

Tomoe groaned exasperatedly. "Okay Chihiro, let me put it this way. You are the most important thing to him, he protects you, he's polite to your parents, he's always concerned about your safety, he worked harder than you know to get you back here, what does all that say to you?"

"Umm..." Chihiro looked away, trying not to smile, " I'm a really good friend of his?"

Tomoe fell backwards melodramatically, cushioned by the pillows.

Chihiro laughed. "What point are you trying to make?"

Tomoe sat up. "Okay, try this then. I've known you for five years. For the past three I've been watching you mope around and listening to you talk about Kohaku. And from the way you talked about him you would have thought that someone should have nominated him for most perfect person, then the whole world should have declared him ruler for life or something. Then, when you get asked out by Joe, a perfectly nice guy and a good friend of yours, despite not being a nominee or embodied perfection, and you turn him down. You didn't even want to give the guy a chance. Why?"

Chihiro's jaw moved up and down a few times but nothing came out for a few minutes.

"Because Kohaku's always been really nice to me and he saved me and dating Joe would have felt weird and I just haven't felt anything for a guy like I do...Oh god, Tomoe I'm in love with Kohaku aren't I?"

Tomoe raised her arms in the air in victory. "Finally! She gets it!"

Chihiro's head fell into her hands. "How did this happen?" She wondered aloud. "How didn't I fall in love with my best friend?"

Tomoe smiled and laid a hand on Chihiro's shoulder. "It happened five years ago Chihiro. I doubt anyone could trace the why of it now. If there ever was one. It's love, there doesn't need to be a how or why to it."

Chihiro went back to chewing on her bottom lip. "You don't think he knows, do you?"

Tomoe rolled her eyes. "No, trust me. He's more oblivious then you are."

Chihiro looked up at her. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Tomoe sighed and shook her head. This could take some time.

* * *

"Are we really going to do this?" Ko asked Haku even as he handed him the second of the two daggers that the crystalline katana had transformed into.

Haku snorted. "If Light had found a safer solution she wound have told us by now. What else are we going to do? Live like this forever?"

"No." Ko squirmed uncomfortably. "I know we can't do that. Neither of us are Kohaku. Sometimes I can kind of feel him, somewhere in between the two of us, but we're not him, are we? But do we have to die for him to be returned?"

Haku offered Ko a hand up.

"Can we live if we don't?"

* * *

"How much did you tell her?" Akiro asked.

Light stopped briefly and looked up at the sky. "As much as she needed to know."

"Is it really fair to drag her into this?" Gaven asked, bending over to pick up a stone now that their group had stopped and skipping it across the pond his sister sometimes used for Seeing.

She shook her head looking back at her brothers. "I think it would be a greater injustice to force her to stay out of it."

The four guardians spent a few moments contemplating their sister's answer as they continued their stroll about the grounds.

"Do you even wonder, why Kohaku?" Kaz asked, for the moment entirely subdued.

"That's like asking if you ever wonder 'why me?' Of course you do. It's natural, because we care about him. But we wouldn't know him if he hadn't been chosen. And you can wonder why forever and never find an answer that satisfies you because you already know and you just don't want to accept it."

"Is there a reason for everything then?" Zepher challenged her.

"No." Light answered immediately. "There really is no reason for anything, we just like to justify things that happen to us by pretending there is."

Akiro abruptly turned around, and stared hard down the path they had come, his posture rigid.

"What is it 'kiro?" Kaz asked and the others turned to look as well.

"It's Kohaku." He answered.

Something flashed through Light's eyes. She reached for the orb in her pocket but found it gone. She swore under her breath.

"Akiro, Kaz, you come with me. Gaven, Zepher, go get Chihiro and Tomoe and follow us."

Her brothers nodded and they split off into their two groups.

As she raced through the trees and bushes, Light tried to convince herself that it was the sting of the branches that was making her want to cry and not the feeling welling up in her stomach that it was too late.

* * *

Chihiro's first instinct when Zepher and Gaven rushed in was one of relief, Tomoe had been teasing her relentlessly for the past few minutes. Then she saw the expressions they wore.

She sprang to her feel and Tomoe followed more demurely.

"What's wrong?" Tomoe asked and Chihiro felt thankful that at least one of them had the sense to ask questions in situations like these.

"Light has sent for you. Please follow us." Gaven stated calmly.

Later, Chihiro wouldn't remember running into the garden, or nearly falling, or Light coming over and holding her hand. All she would be able to remember was the picture of Ko and Haku killing each other.

They each had a hand on each other's shoulder in some sort of strange half hug. In the other hand each held a dagger, both practically miniatures of the crystalline katana, with the points of the gleaming blades poised above the heart of his other self.

Light shouted something Chihiro couldn't understand and the daggers sank slowly into flesh, spilling bright crimson blood that soaked into white linen and fell down to pool on the ground.

Their breathing became labored and their eyes began to flutter shut as they killed each other.

The dying wish? For either? For both?

To be whole again.

* * *

"Would you like to return now?"

"Can I?"

"If you will yourself to life, you will live."

"..."

"You do not wish to live?"

"I have not lived in many years. I exist when I should be dead."

"Will yourself to life. You may live it you will it."

"What do you know? Who are you anyway?"

"The window is small. If you wish to return you must will it now."

"I do wish to return."

"You will yourself back then, yes?"

"...Yes. I will myself to return."

"Then so it shall be."

* * *

For a few agonizing moments the bloody bodies of Ko and Haku lay lifeless on the ground.

"Please no." Light whispered, falling to her knees. "No...no. This is all my fault..."

Tomoe shook Chihiro lightly, fearing that her friend had gone into shock. "Chihiro? Are you okay? Chihiro?"

But she just kept staring at the bodies on the ground.

"Look." She said.

The guardians looked up from their baby sister whom they had been trying to comfort. Kaz shook Light gently. "What is that?" He asked her.

Light looked up to see the sky clouding. But instead of being grey like normal rain clouds, these clouds were.....silver? The air suddenly got heavy and the rain began. Small drops feel down to the ground, but it didn't feel like rain. Light looked down at the drops that had pooled in her hand. They were too turquoise to be water. And normal rain didn't have this kind of aura about it...

Light looked back up at Ko and Haku, but they were no longer there. The rain had melted their physical forms away like acid and the ghostly echos of them were swirling together and merging into one and being filled by the rain that was not. In several torturously slow moments, the lights came together and Kohaku literally melted back into reality.

The clouds dispersed, the sun came out, and Kohaku lay unconscious but whole on the ground.

* * *

A/N

Is anyone keeping track of the number of times Kohaku should have died by now? Between the original movie and this story my count is up to six. Do you know them all?


	14. Prelude to War

Author's Notes

Sorry! My life sucks and this just wasn't getting priority. But it's here now!

Disclaimer: I do not own spirited away. Just this story.

* * *

Review Replies: (Almost 200? I love you all!)

**A Fading Shadow** Yep, took me long enough huh? **Yahaku-kan** Yep, I read every single review, more than once usually. Good ego booster. **Shitza** Next time I'll try to feel like updating sooner! **driftingwanderer** Nope, six. I list them at the bottom of this chapter. You're close on who Darkness is. **Velf** Usually, after I procrastinate for a while chapters take about two weeks to finish. But I say the rest is 'brain storming' Tomoe isn't really based on anyone in particular, it's interesting that she reminds you of a real life person! **Freaky Person O.o** Thank you! **Baka- onna2003** I don't know if this counts as soon, sorry! **Joker is Poker with a J** Yeah, the D is silent. The name is Swedish actually. **Storm-Maker** Your review made me laugh every time I read it. Thanks! **foxer** I love hearing that people like the oc, writing about them makes me so nervous! **Kute Anime Kitty** hacker? Scary! Tomoe does a great job of making Chihiro face reality, eh? **Dragon Princess** Thanks! **Hiril Moon** when you put it that way, Chihiro does seem a bit slow on the uptake, huh? **Theresa L'Anne** He's back, for now... **Sakura Hiwatari** I've heard of 'X' but I've never seen it. Is it good? **Taichi rules** Tomoe's great have in the story just so I can give her lines like that **Kataan** Thanks! **Fufa** wait no more **SnowhiteandtheSevenDragons** I really like your name. Thanks so much for reading and for the free publicity! **Shitsumon **You definitely remembered the most. You're only one off. **Mitusuko Maxwell** Yes, Chihiro is a dork. But that's one of the reasons she's cute with Kohaku **Aryanne** Yeah, I got the name Tomoe from RK. I can't say I love the RK Tomoe, but after seeing the 'Love and Betrayal' movie I did feel bad for her. **GoldenRat** Good question. Yes, he's back for now. **Juliana** yes, their incessant bickering was driving everyone nuts. **IrishKitsune** I feel bad that Lin has been pushed aside in this fic to accommodate the ocs, but it couldn't be helped. **Lady Tetsu-Maru **scaring was the intention. I love being mean to Kohaku. **wakoramaco87** I hope I answer everything too. Yes, the sequel is theoretical right now, but for organization has been tentatively called 'Spirit Hunting' **avolare** flattery is very effective. My friends will tell you how large my ego is. Worry not, I will finish. Not in any decent time period but I will finish. **Hannah **I do adore the guardians. I try on updates. **Dark Angel - The Doom** well, if another chapter doesn't help I will have had my first casualty, eh? **Astarii Amaranth** the only way I get people to keep reading is by never saying what I mean the first time. **Katsy Kat** It is wonderful to know that some people do recognize just how much I have to remember to keep this fic going. I love explaining how the magic is working, that's just one of my favorite things. I have so many theories on it. But yeah, I hate naming chapters. I'll try to work on it though.

* * *

Chapter 14: Prelude to War

"Akiro, watch that branch!"

"If I wasn't walking backwards..."

"Ouch!"

"Kaz I told you to watch out for the branch!"

"You told Akiro!"

Light sighed in exasperation. Maybe moving Kohaku hadn't been the best idea. After a few minutes of checking to make sure Kohaku was okay (Tomoe, the only one with half a brain in a crisis), crying(none that the guardians would own up to) and apologizing(Light, to the point of annoyance), they had decided it was probably better to move Kohaku closer to the palace. Light had decided that the closest place would be the bench by the Lily fountain. Getting the guardians to coordinate themselves well enough to carry him there, however, was more difficult than getting him back together in the first place.

"Light-sama?"

"Yes Tomoe?"

"Won't Kohaku be worried when he wakes up and finds his weapon gone?"

The moment she could Light had taken the two daggers and fused them back into the crystalline katana, then strapped it to her own side.

A glimmer that didn't quite belong in one that otherwise appeared so innocent appeared in Light's eyes, causing Tomoe to feel a bit uncertain about the wisdom of her question. "Oh let's hope he worries. Then maybe he'll have half an idea of what we've all been going through."

Tomoe smiled and risked a look back at Chihiro, who was smiling as well.

"Light-sama, if you don't mind me asking, how exactly did Ko and Haku figure out how to put themselves back together?"

Light flinched. "It really was my fault. I did find what I though could perhaps help put Kohaku back together again, but because of the high risk involved, I didn't want to tell them, but...I lost the memory orb earlier and they must have found it."

"But how did Ko and Haku killing each other help bring Kohaku back?" Chihiro asked.

Light looked back at her and smiled sadly. "I didn't know if it would. The theory behind it was that if both Ko and Haku, both parts of Kohaku's "self" are existing on this plane then Kohaku's soul doesn't have a shell to return to. But if both of them could be reduced to essence, it could be possible for Kohaku's soul to bind itself back together with both halves of his self."

"And the only way to reduce them both to essence was for them to die?"

Light looked away. "Yes. That's why I didn't want to try it unless the situation became desperate."

"Hey! You girls done yet?" Kaz yelled. The four guardians has already laid Kohaku down on the bench, and seemed oblivious to the fact that half of his limbs were hanging off at odd angles.

"Oh honestly..." Light stomped over and with a critical look directed at her brothers, rearranged Kohaku so that he would be comfortable. The guardians didn't even have the decency to look sheepish, despite Light's glare. She hung her head. She knew they were a lost cause, but she just couldn't quite bring herself to give up yet.

"Chihiro," she turned around, "Would you mind staying here and watching over Kohaku? Now that he's back together the six of us need to get ready to get down to business."

For a split-second Tomoe looked confused. Then realization dawned on her and smoothed out her expression before Chihiro could take notice.

"Of course I don't mind."

"Excellent! We'll come to check on you later then."

Chihiro didn't quite understand why they all left so quickly. But she sat down next to Kohaku anyway.

"Wake up soon, okay?" She whispered to him. "Stop worrying me already."

* * *

He was slowly returning to consciousness. The sensation in itself was odd for him; he did not sleep often and he couldn't remember choosing to do so.

He opened his eyes and quickly shut them again. The sun was too much for him to deal with when he already felt like he had been run over. He could tell there was someone sitting next to him, familiar...female...human...Chihiro, he decided. But why...?

Oh. Oh no. He had been fighting Djavel and then...

No. **No no no no no.** No. He had not been knocked out, the guardians had not had to come and rescue him and then drag him home. No. Absolutely not. There had to be an explanation less damaging to his image. There had to be.

Right?

"You really shouldn't have tried something that stupid."

Now Chihiro was talking to him. And her reassurance that he had done something stupid wasn't exactly making him feel better.

"We all though that you were going to die." She continued, and Kohaku couldn't help but thinking bitterly that he was already dead so they really shouldn't have bothered.

"What's going to happen now?" Chihiro asked. "Not even Light has all the answers. She didn't even know if this was going to work and..." She trailed off, sounding choked up and Kohaku mentally berated himself for causing her to worry.

"Please wake up." She whispered. "I need you here. I think I just realized how much."

Overwhelming guilt beat out his pounding headache and he grimaced as he sat up.

"Kohaku!" Chihiro exclaimed joyfully. "You're okay!"

He opened his eyes a little and tried to smile at her, but sitting up had reminded him of exactly why he was lying down in the first place and he instinctively moved his hand to his head.

"Are you feeling alright?" She asked, hovering over him.

"I'm fine." He lied, trying to set her at ease.

"How can you possibly be fine?" She chastised him, gently wrapping her fingers around his wrist and pulling it back to his side. "You almost died!"

He looked away. "I'm sorry." He apologized. He wasn't quite sure what for, but he was sorry for whatever it was if it had hurt her in any way.

"You don't need to be sorry." Chihiro looked away. "It turned out okay, didn't it?" Kohaku was completely lost now. "I guess?" He offered.

Chihiro blinked as she looked up at him. "Don't you remember what happened?"

Kohaku shook his head sheepishly. "No...not really."

"Oh." Chihiro answered. She paused, lost for a moment as to how she should explain what had happened.

"You kind of...got split in two. I don't know exactly what happened. Light explained it as something with your self and soul. I didn't quite get all of it; you should ask her, but there were two of you. We called then Ko and Haku and they were always fighting, and neither of them really acted like you, and they were almost complete opposites, but they were both kind of like you and in order to bring you back they had to kill each other and it was horrible, and ...I'm just so glad you're okay!" Chihiro babbled.

He smiled and held her hand as she concentrated on not crying. The whole thing sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember being there for any of it.

The garden was quiet as the two sat in silence, half-listening to the quiet rush of the water as it poured over the petals of the giant white lily that served as a fountain and was the namesake of the garden.

"I am sorry." Kohaku said, "for worrying you like that."

"You got hurt! You were the one who was attacked. You don't have anything to apologize for! Chihiro insisted, holding his hand with both of hers.

He turned to look at her with a small smiled. "But I caused you pain, and that's inexcusable."

Chihiro blinked, then looked away, blushing slightly. "The others are inside. If you feel well enough..."

Kohaku nodded and slowly stood up. He was hit by a sudden dizzy feeling and abruptly shut his eyes, trying to steady himself. He could still fell Chihiro's hand in his and that gave him comfort. He took a deep breath.

Light probably wanted to meet to discuss what to do about Djavel. This had to do with the separatists. There was no way that someone as powerful as Djavel was just a stray nutcase. No, he had to have some kind of support. They had been wrong. They weren't gone. They weren't suppressed. Their war wasn't over.

But he could do this.

He opened his eyes and smiled at Chihiro, who looked a little less worried.

He had to do this.

* * *

Upon finding Light and the guardians in the watching room, Kohaku had been promptly glomped by Light, causing him to fall over as she called him an idiot and cried and blamed herself and threatened him with dismemberment if he ever dared try something like that again. The whole time the guardians had been so helpful, standing off to the side snickering.

Once Light had composed herself, Kohaku was introduced to Tomoe, who he was, understandably, quite wary of considering his history with her doppel ganger Ai, but nevertheless welcomed and thanked her once he was told of her job as Chihiro's temporary spirit guardian.

Now of course was time for business, and he had to give the full account of his encounter with Djavel. Light had not been the least bit surprised that he had not remembered what had happened when he was split and promised to help him retrieve the memories later if he really wanted. He wasn't so sure that he did.

"What's going on?" He could hear Chihiro ask quietly a few minutes after the guardians had all but shoved him behind the screen to change.

"Kohaku's changing." Light answered.

"Why, you want to watch?"

"Tomoe! Chihiro exclaimed in shock and horror while Light broke into giggles. Kaz and Zepher had cracked up too. Gaven was trying not to laugh and even the stoic Akiro was smirking as he helped tie the complicated sash that Kohaku had to wear. The whole get-up was extraordinarily complicated compared to what he usually wore, and each of the guardians had to help him put on a certain piece of it, for ceremonies' sake. Kohaku would have really rather skipped the whole thing, but his other clothes were still bloody from his double suicide and Light had insisted.

"But why is Kohaku changing? I thought he was going to tell us what happened."

Light didn't respond verbally to Chihiro's question, but Kohaku would have bet his gold sprite that he heard her shake her head.

"Having him tell up isn't enough. There are too many things that we can miss that way. Visual clued, energy shifts, stuff like that. No, we'll be using the watching pool for this."

The watching pool in itself was a work of art. Kohaku recalled the first time that he had seen it as Zepher straightened the fold of his sleeves. The pool was roughly six feet in diameter, but looked as deep as eternity. The water was azure and the pool itself made of crystal that threw shards of light onto the dark stone walls. It was beautiful, but that's all it was at first glance. The water was always still, making the whole thing look like a pretty picture. Which was why when it awoke it was all the more shocking.

Kohaku scowled as Kaz ran a comb through his hair. The wind guardian just smiled like an idiot and Kohaku rolled his eyes. Gaven, thankfully, pushed his brother out of the way and placed the prayer beads around Kohaku's neck. The last step in whole overly complicated symbolic process.

"Aww...You're so pretty!" Kaz teased.

Kohaku shot him a death glare. "Shut up." He snapped. "Let's get this over with."

The guardians shook their heads but filed out from behind the screen. The knew how much Kohaku hated drawing attention to himself, and dressing up certainly brought him attention. Chihiro and Tomoe both seemed to be trying not to stare, Tomoe having a bit more luck then Chihiro, being much more use to the extravagance and pomp and circumstance of the spirit world that made such ornamentation necessary. Light had once told Kohaku that he reminded her of a human prince that she had blessed hundreds of years ago. He had been a good emperor, but he had died young. Kohaku had appreciated the irony.

"You ready?" Light asked.

Kohaku nodded. Light move forward and dipped her right hand into the water, causing it to glow faintly. She turned to Kohaku and lightly touched his forehead with her left hand. She backed away and the guardians came to stand behind her. Kohaku moved towards the pool descending into the clear water as if walking down stairs, the loose hakama pants and numerous overcoats billowing around him.

Chihiro took in a breath and held her tongue even as Kohaku descended further into the small pool. She repeated her new mantra in her head: This was magic. She needn't understand it. If Kohaku and Light were there it would be okay.

Kohaku had completely disappeared underneath the surface fo the water now. The odd thing about it was that the surface of the water was as smooth as it had been before, and no matter how Chihiro tried she couldn't see the vibrant colors of Kohaku's ornate ceremonial clothing through the water.

"Ah!" Chihiro let out a noise of startled surprise as the water of pool shot up, creating a small hurricane in the center of the room before collapsing and engulfing them completely.

The sensation was a bit like being underwater. Things were distorted, and there were swirling shades of blue, but there was neither the weight of wetness of water surrounding her.

"Can you hear me?"

The sound of the voice caused something to shift and suddenly Chihiro was standing with Light, the guardians and Tomoe again. Light and the guardians were looking around, anticipating an answer. A light snow began to fall, sparkling like each was made of diamond.

Light smiled softly, "Okay, quit showing off."

The snow stopped. Chihiro moved closer to Tomoe. "Where _are_ we?" She whispered.

"The watching room. We never left." Tomoe answered. Chihiro blinked, confused. Tomoe shook her head. "We're in a projection of Kohaku's consciousness. This is one of the uses of the watching pool, but I've never seen it before." Chihiro half wondered what the other uses were but her thoughts were interrupted as things changed again.

The landscape was forming loosely, th water like atmosphere thinning and spreading out to create the sky and clouds, the excess forming into ground beneath their feet.

"Okay," Light answered, "let's start with the guardians leaving. I've already seen up until then."

Six figures materialized in the strange world, as an orange film spread across the sky. Chihiro recognized five of the figures, Kohaku and the guardians. The sixth was a boy, similar to Kohaku in age and build, wearing more black then anyone Chihiro had ever seen. His coloring seemed western, sandy blond hair and reddish eyes.

"-Tick-Tock."

"Go!" The image of Kohaku said.

"Be careful." Zepher answered. The guardians left.

The figure in black began speaking with Kohaku, but Chihiro could only hear bits of their conversation.

"I wish I knew."

"...A pity..."

"I'm a threat."

"...never quite good enough..."

"About what?"

"...your little pet..."

"My name is Djavel."

They started fighting. Chihiro didn't want to look; she had to look. By the time she had decided whether she wanted to watch or not, it was over. The world was breaking down and shifting back.

"Alright, that's good. Pull out now."

Light's voice was faint, like Chihiro was hearing her from very far away. Then, she was back in the watching room, the water level of the pool was lowering, leaving everything mysteriously dry in its wake. Kohaku was a the center of the pool, standing on top of the water, eyes closed. The water retreated to the confines of its pool and the light in the water died away.

"Kohaku," Light called softly; the boy's eyes fluttered open. "I need you to call the war council and take care of things here. Kaz, Zepher, Gaven, Akiro, we're going to visit an old friends. Tomoe, please make Chihiro comfortable here."

Kohaku, Tomoe, and the guardians all bowed. "Yes, Light-sama."

Light swallowed with visible difficulty and nodded. "Good, very good."

* * *

Light and the guardians left immediately, and Kohaku almost as quickly after them, only pausing to give Chihiro a reassuring smile. For several seconds after their departure all Chihiro could do was blink as her poor human brain tired to piece together the assault that had taken place on her senses.

Tomoe coughed politely. "We should get going. It's not really good to be pulling magic away from a place like this."

Chihiro shook herself out of her daze. "What?" She managed. "How are we pulling magic away?"

"We aren't." Tomoe corrected her, taking her wrist and pulling her best friend gently toward the door. "You are."

"I am?!" Chihiro responded, incredulous but allowing herself to be led out of the room just the same.

"Don't take it personally or anything." Tomoe tried to appease her. "It's just something humans do. They don't have their own magic so they pull it away from everything else. It's why they usually aren't allowed to cross over until they're dead."

Chihiro blinked, only faintly registering where they were. Tomoe had taken off down the hallways like a women possessed, passing numerous doors. Chihiro was sure that she would never be able to find her way back on her own.

"What about me?"

"Kohaku's got a shield on you. It came with the invitation. Those little cranes? Insanely complicated network of spells in them. The shield basically keeps you from absorbing took much magic around you by giving you a steady stream from your prince charming. Shoot, did I take a wrong turn? ...anyway, there are other spells on you too. Like one that helps you retain substance so you can return to the human world. Aha! I knew it was around here!"

Tomoe came to stop in front of a deep purple door. "This is where you'll be staying. It's called the violet room, so if you get lost tell someone that and they should be able to help you find your way back here."

Tomoe slid open the door; Chihiro's jaw dropped. The room was a sea of lavender pillows. A huge western-style mahogany bed inlaid with ornaments of gold wire with a purple silk canopy stood in the center of the room. The most impressive thing, however, was the view. The doors on the far wall opened to a balcony the full length of the wall. Hung in the sky large was a glowing golden orb.

"Wow." Chihiro finally managed. "Are you sure this is my room?"

Tomoe grinned, flopping onto the bed. "This is nothing. You should see Kohaku's room. I was here when they were preparing it for him."

Chihiro shook her head, trying to focus on what was important and not the gorgeous room around her. "Wait, you said Kohaku's feeding me magic?"

"Yep." Tomoe answered, taking a chocolate from the bedside table. "Your parents too."

Chihiro crawled onto the bed withe her friend. "But isn't that making him weaker or something? Oh god, is it my fault Kohaku got hurt?"

Tomoe was holding back giggles. Chihiro shoved her. "This is serious!"

"I'm sorry." Tomoe apologized, still giggling. "You're just so cute." Chihiro blushed as Tomoe tamed her amusement.

"No," she finally answered. "It's not weakening Kohaku at all to feel you guys magic. I'm sure he doesn't even notice. Every spirit has only so much magic at hand for immediate access, even Light. When Kohaku linked you three to him, he started sharing his magic with you. It's a pretty small amount actually, in terms of how much Kohaku has at his disposal. But if you're worried that's why he got hurt, don't be. Because he wasn't suffering from magical exhaustion when he showed up here after being split."

"Oh." Chihiro answered, feeling slightly better. "The moon looks pretty tonight." She changed the subject, bouncing up and down a bit on the bed.

"It's turning red." Tomoe answered, looking out at it.

"What does that mean?" Chihiro asked.

Tomoe's eyes darkened.

"War."

* * *

The mountain top was barren, as was the tradition for holy ground. The guardians had lined up on one side of the mountain, the expressions they wore clearly betraying their contempt. Light was but steps in front of them, her own expression carefully blank.

A boy appeared across from them, without fireworks or fanfare. He smirked at the small group, pale blond hair falling into blood red eyes as his black cloak blew in the wind.

Meters away his antithesis stepped forward even as her guardians glared. The boy just smirked all the more as he strode forward to her, stopping mere inches away.

"It's been too long love." He said, tilting her chin upwards almost tenderly so that her pale jade eyes met his.

"Yes," she answered. "Indeed it has."

* * *

A/N

The Sixth Deaths/Near Deaths of Kohaku are as followed:

1. When he lost his river (Pre-movie)

2. When he came to the bathhouse and he was trying to absorb his power but Yubaba found him and started to pull power away from him. (pre-movie, mentioned by Kawa-kami, Ch. 7)

3. Zeniba's Curse (movie)

4. When he remembered his name and was trying to absorb his power. (End Ch. 1)

5. When he was hit by the soul whip. (Ch. 9)

6. When he put himself back together again. (Ch. 13)

Review!


	15. Story of the Lost

Author's Note

Happy holidays everyone! This will be the last update before the new year.

For anyone that's interested, I've posted Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Kohaku's Tale on my website (link in my profile) which contains extra author note type stuff I can't fit in here or the actual story.

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Disclaimer: Don't own the rights to Spirited Away. Didn't ask for them for xmas this year because last year I just got coal.

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Review Replies:

**Kute Anime Kitty** Just wait, the story's not over yet. **Theresa L'Anne** You'll find out more about the Light thing in this chapter. **KatsyKat** Thank you. I think about this story waaay too much. **Freaky Person O.o** You'll find out about him this chapter. **A Fading Shadow** I like your name. Now, breathe, and when you're done reading this chapter remember air is good. **Shitza** I think this is sooner. I'm not keeping track anymore. It was suppose to come out even sooner, but then I remembered that I had finals the next day and thought maybe I should study. **Hiril Moon** Yes, I too, happen to really like the creepy characters. I especially like this guy 'cause he's mine! **baka-onna2003** I don't know if this story will end up progressing to the conventional fluffy. It's gone kinda soap opera-ish. **Storm-Maker** Thank you so much! Lots else will happen. I promise. Last chapter was a bit stagnant. **Chelsea** Thanks I'm flattered! **wackoramaco87** what's coming up may cause you to rum for the hills, I warn you all to tread carefully. **Rainbow **I'm so flattered, I never expected that anyone would single my fic out of the fandom. Thank you so much! **LadyRainStarDragon** I'm gonna pretend that I got that message yesterday and that this chapter is on time, maybe, yes? **GoldenRat** I know. I so wish I could draw Kohaku dressed up, but my stick figures end up lop sided. The war will definitely have an effect on their relationship.... a BIG effect....

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Chapter 15: Story of the Lost

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"It's been quite some time since I've seen you, Kohaku-sama."

The image of the red-haired girl in the glowing mirror smiled.

"You must forgive me Kasumi-san. Things have been set in motion that have given much cause for the council's attention and discretion."

"And that would be why Ai showed up at my doorstep for some kind of party I didn't know I was throwing?" She asked skeptically.

Wha...? Right. He was split in half; Ai was a spy. Logically, they had to get her out of the bathhouse for the period of time he... er, both of him, were staying there.

"I do remember telling you that you and your guests were always welcome here, but next time warn me before you send your fan club leader over, 'kay?"

He knew he had always liked her. "Of course Kasumi-san. I offer my most sincere apologies."

The redhead waved it off. "Don't worry. She left a few hours ago to go back to the bathhouse anyway. Your problem now. But tell me, what is going on that the great warrior of the council has sent summons to little ol' me?"

Kohaku's eyes hardened. "Light-sama has summoned the war council."

Kasumi blinked in shock. "The war council?....okay....gods, um... I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Your cooperation is greatly appreciated."

Kasumi's expressions softened from shock to concern. "Take care of yourself Kohaku-sama."

The light from the communication mirror died away as Kohaku let the connection go. Well, this was just fantastic. He had almost forgotten about Ai. How he didn't know, but he had. Very well, she would have to be taken care of before the war council. Once it was convened she would most likely scurry back to her own side with all the information she had collected on him. If she had half a brain. But he had more important things to do at the moment. Ai could wait a few hours.

Next then. A small bit of power, infused with the correct memory...

"Seishiro-san." He greeted the forest spirit.

"Kohaku-sama! Did you receive the vase we sent you?"

Kohaku drew up a vague memory of sorting through Yubaba's books, trying to figure out how much debt she was in now and Lin yelling something about breaking a vase before Chihiro came in....

"Yes Seishiro-san. Thank you very much. I greatly appreciated it..."

* * *

The guardians were angry. And not just a little angry, like they were when she decided she wanted to use all her wonderful special powers to channel some chick flick (in Russian) playing in a movie theater somewhere on earth. This was an anger she could feel, pounding away at her like the sea pounded against the shore. She wasn't surprised though. They were always mad, because as far as they were concerned she was _their_ little sister, even though she had belonged to him far longer...

"Something is troubling you."

Arms were wrapped around her waist, the black fabric around them clashing violently with the snow white of her own garments. She leaned back against him, enjoying the weightless comfort of the free world they had created by pulling back the layers of reality. The anger of the guardians created an environment of far too much animosity to talk in peace.

"If something wasn't troubling me you know I wouldn't be here."

"Hmm." He answered. "You plan to tell me?"

She paused, weighing her need for help with her concern for how much she should reveal to the enemy at this stage in the game. "Djavel is your choice, isn't he?"

He took the comment in stride, not seeming at all surprised that she knew. Sometimes she envied his ability to do that.

"Yes, just as Kohaku is yours."

"He's an interesting choice for you."

"Really? I would think that he would be the obvious one. That is, since you got to the dear river spirit first. So interesting that one. And so _tragic_."

She shook her head. "I can't believe you're actually doing this."

He frowned. "I don't know why you're so surprised. This is the way it's happened every other time. Your champion against mine. The battle of Light and Darkness in miniature."

"But why them?" She could feel the tears forming and closed her eyes to hide them. "They're not stable like the others. Why can't we go back and do it over again?"

He shifted her slightly in his arms so that he could see her face. He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You're just being ridiculous now love. You know why. It's too late now. We couldn't stop it if we wanted. And if we stepped in, we'd destroy the world again. It's just not feasible."

Tears were falling freely now. She hated him, hated his sympathetic way of reciting everything she already knew even if that was why she had come.

"Why now then? Kohaku has so much to live for...he deserves so much. After all he's been put through."

Darkness brushed her tears away. "You care very much for this boy. It's starting to make me a bit jealous."

She laughed despite herself. "Don't be absurd. I have you. And he has Chihiro."

"The human that guards his soul."

"Something like that."

"They can't be together you know. It's cruel of you to even let them try."

Light raised an eyebrow. "You realize we're the poster couple of 'can't be together.'?"

"Your brothers wish that was enough to stop us. But that's different anyway. We're gods."

She snorted. "The only real difference between gods and mortals is that one dreams of living forever and the other is foolish enough to actually do it."

He began playing with her hair. "Well this is a cynical mood you've worked yourself into. Tell me what you want of me love."

"I want you to spare Kohaku."

He pulled her closer, "You know I can't do that. The rules are there and I can't break them, no matter how much I love you."

"Don't say that." She lay her head against his shoulder. "Love is pure. Don't desecrate it by comparing it to what we feel for each other."

"Which is?"

"Possession. The Darkness wishes to cover the Light and the Light wishes to illuminate the Darkness. Chasing after each other for complete ownership but without each other we're nothing."

He laughed, "Makes our existence seem rather trivial doesn't it?" He whispered in her ear, "I will buy what time I can for you, if that's all I can do. But it will not be much. With their instability their's almost beyond us."

She tilted her chin up to look at him. He cupped her face in his hands.

"Mine."

He leaned down to kiss her.

"My everything."

* * *

Exactly one hour after they had separated Kohaku came to the amethyst room, changed but nevertheless clearly annoyed with something. Chihiro jumped a clean two feet when the ornamental gold bird sang out his arrival.

"What's up?" Tomoe asked when he was granted entrance. She was still sitting on the bed while Chihiro was picking her way through one of the chests on the ground, holding up different silk dresses and tossing them aside in the face of Tomoe's scorn.

The typical teenage slang was lost on the river spirit, but he answered just the same.

"We have to go."

Chihiro tilted her head to the side, "Why?"

"Ai." He replied. "Something has to be done about her."

"Can't it wait until morning?" Tomoe asked. Kohaku shook his head. "It needs to be done before the war council. And there's less chance of being seen while everyone's asleep."

Tomoe sighed. "I guess you're right." She jumped off the bed and straightened the folds of her dress.

"You can get there under your own power?" Kohaku asked.

Tomoe nodded, then turned to Chihiro. "You'll be alright by yourself?"

Chihiro blinked. "What?"

"You'll be alright by yourself?" Tomoe repeated.

Chihiro lowered the dress she'd been holding and the blue fabric pooled by her feet. "Can't I come with?"

"You'll be safer here." Kohaku answered in a tone that requested that that be the end of it.

"But–" Chihiro tried to bite back the words but they spilled out anyway. "But what about Lin and Kamaji...and....my parents?"

Tomoe exchanged a look with Kohaku.

"Very well."

Chihiro brightened, but was unnerved by the fact that Kohaku's smiles seemed forced, and his eyes were hardening into ice.

* * *

He had tricked her.

That upstart river spirit had tricked her.

It had been suspicious when he had asked her to act as his consort, especially with his _human_ running around, but to refuse would have been the death of the mission.

Now he wasn't here, and neither was she. And there were rumors, rumors of the war council, barely minutes old. But Seishiro was always good about giving her information.

There was no reason for the fear. It was completely irrational. But the air seemed more chilled then usual, the night stiller. Most of the workers had turned in by this hour but still...

"Ai, spring spirit of the mountain Akaishi."

She whirled around. It was him. The corridor was dark, but she could tell, even before he stepped into the pool of light from the lamp illuminating the hallway. She had spent months memorizing everything about him, and she knew what the cold detached tone he used meant. Her well practiced simpering idiot routine wouldn't work here.

"You have been charged with the impersonation of a servant of Light and espionage for those opposing the council. Do you deny these charges?"

From the shadows behind him, a figure emerged, the features all hauntingly familiar from glimpses in the mirror.

Realization hit like a sharp sudden sickness.

It was _her_.

She fell to her knees.

* * *

Fallen on the ground, eyes wide with fear, Ai looked...broken.

"This can't be happening." She pleaded, looking down at her hands as if the answer was written there on her palm.

"This can't be happening." She insisted, as the world she had spent years building crumbled down around her.

"This can't be happening!" She yelled, burying her face in her hands. She was not an imitation; she was not inferior! "Don't look at me! DON'T LOOK AT ME!"

Chihiro was shocked at Ai's reaction. As much as she did not like the girl, she still felt a pang of sympathy for her.

"Do you deny these charges?" Kohaku repeated, totally unfazed by the outburst.

"No." Ai's response came as a whisper in the wake of her screams. She seemed sobered by the direct question. "No, I cannot deny them."

Kohaku paused. "Then by the powers granted to me by the council of Light I sentence you to be returned to your original form and to sleep for the next century, to be awoken at the conclusion of this time to have your case reviewed by the council."

"NO!" Ai threw herself forward, seized by panic again, clutching at the folds of Kohaku's robe. "Please! I'd rather die! You only prolong my pain with your sentence!"

Kohaku kept his expression carefully schooled neutral as Ai continued.

"I am as you are. My spring is gone, destroyed by the wretched humans with one of their 'resorts.'" She spat out the word as if it was something foul she wished to be rid of. "My lord took pity on me and gave me this form. If you take that away I die slowly and painfully. Have mercy! You cannot do this to me! I am what you could have been!"

Kohaku closed his eyes and looked almost pained in his stillness. Tomoe and Chihiro exchanged a glance with each other, neither of them had ever expected this from the spiteful girl they considered their enemy.

"In light of the plea of the accused and the recent summon of the war council, the spirit Ai shall be imprisoned until the time when the council may consider her case. Does the accused have an objection to this sentence?"

Ai sat back, rage and shock flowing out of her as she all but collapsed on the spot. Looking almost as if she had no clue how she had gotten there.

"If this is all you may do for me I accept it graciously my lord."

Kohaku nodded, "So shall it be done."

He stepped forward and held out a hand to lay on her forehead, but she caught his wrist first.

"While it was my mission to bring your downfall my lord, I truly only accepted this position for my own reasons. You see, I had to know how you lived when I and so many like me die. So, I must ask, what was the secret of your survival?"

Kohaku visibly tensed and didn't answer for several moments when he did, he bent down and spoke too softly for either Chihiro or Tomoe to hear.

Ai closed her eyes. "I see." She answered.

"I am ready."

She dissolved into light.

* * *

The water below was blue crystal that sparkled with lavender, reflecting the light of the red moon.

How easy would it be to jump off and fall into the water below? Too easy to be lost in nothingness. Lost... But he would not die again. His own magic would save him even when his heart would not.

They were...the same...

"Kohaku?"

He whirled around. There was someone behind him, someone he couldn't sense and...

Chihiro touched his arm lightly. "Are you okay?"

Chihiro... it was just Chihiro. He couldn't sense her because she wore his own magic signature.

"I'm fine." He answered her quietly. She didn't need to worry about his senseless ponderings.

"I didn't expect that to happen with Ai." Chihiro continued, and he wished for her to just keep talking because he didn't want her to go but he knew she had to. This was not her world, and it was most certainly not her war.

"None of us did." He answered tonelessly, "We had no idea exactly where Ai was from, and with her disguise and Tomoe in the human world it would be nearly impossible to tell that she hadn't..disappeared...when her spring was destroyed."

"Do you..." Chihiro started. "That is, Ai. It doesn't bother you does it? That she..."

Kohaku managed a rueful smile. "That she compared the two of us? No... I don't mind. It's the truth after all. I could have been her so easily. I have to wonder if I would have made the same choices, and whether I can fault her for them."

"There's nothing wrong with not wanting to die." Chihiro insisted.

Kohaku looked away deliberately. "But when the that wish conflicts with the well being of others...perhaps it's better to put it to rest."

"Kohaku, I–"

"At first light I'm going to open the gate so your parents can get home."

He couldn't look at her. This was his only choice.

"I want you to go with them."

The silence was deafening.

"What...? Why...?!"

He was so afraid to look at her. So afraid that she was crying. But he could only cause her more pain...

"I'm sure you're aware that things have promised to become very messy in the near future. You'll be safer in your world."

All the summons he had had to send, watching spirits old and battle worn fight with themselves not to break down and ask what the point of it all was, and trying to fumble his way through an answer for those who lost. They were scared. They all thought they had won, only to find their enemy was standing over their shoulder with a dagger pointed toward their heart. _He_ was scared. And he couldn't protect her, and he wouldn't take that risk.

"But I want to help! Please! I can't leave everyone here like this!"

He wanted to apologize and smile at her and see her brighten in return, but it was just so selfish of him, and his selfishness had caused her enough pain already.

"Don't you understand?" He forced the icy edge of his tone. "They're after _you_. Humans are their real target. The more radical part of their number have taken their vengeance on human souls already crossed over. The souls are torn apart and extinguished in the most horrific ways possible, and it's worse for them, because human souls still remember pain."

He had never wanted to tell her this, but even if she had to suffer now she would be happier for it later.

"And besides," he continued, trying to sound nonchalant, "your presence here is making things difficult for me."

He couldn't have ignored the fact that she was crying even if he was blind. Soft sobs escaped every one and a while and perfumed the air with the salty smell of tears.

"Stop it!" She cried. "Why are you doing this? Stop it!"

His only reply was silence.

"This isn't even about me is it?" She continued. "You're going to get yourself killed on purpose aren't you?! That's what you meant isn't it? '...perhaps it's better to put that wish to rest.' ...Why?"

"You don't understand." He answered, still as immoveable as a glacier. "I'm already dead. You waste your time here with ghosts such as I."

"No." She insisted. "No I–"

"Still know nothing." Kohaku finished for her. "You're _alive_ Chihiro. You still have _time_. You still have a chance to be happy. Do you know what Ai would have done for that chance? What I would do for it? Do you belittle our sacrifice by insisting on staying in the world of the dead? You. Don't. Belong. Here."

There was a long pause as Chihiro struggled to control her tears.

"I don't understand!" She sobbed.

Kohaku tried to reassure himself that it was all almost over.

"I've one last thing for you." He turned toward her and even after steeling himself to face her tears he almost faltered. He slipped the offering over her head.

"What is it?" She sniffled, clutching at the shiny white disk hanging from the silver robe chain.

"It's a memory charm." Kohaku explained. "Go across the barrier with it and it will erase every memory you have of this place- no matter what other charms or spells you try to use."

Not only that, but it would also give her filler memories-happy ones. Like flying kites and watching fireworks and no goodbyes and that human boy, the friend she had mentioned who like her as someone important to her. Kohaku knew it was wrong to muddle with her memory, but Chihiro deserved all the happiness he could give her and more.

"I suggest you say your goodbyes."

He had to get away from her. He was starting to weaken. He wanted to apologize so badly and dry her tears and... He was so selfish.

He turned his back on her.

"Kohaku!"

But he could do this.

"Wait!"

Because he had to.

"Kohaku!"

Because he loved her.

* * *


	16. Pawns of Fate

Author's Notes

I'm always apologizing in these aren't I? Well sorry, life has been very hectic. And I've been distracted by an original fiction piece lately so...

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Disclaimer: I am so broke I can't afford gum let alone Spirited Away

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Review Replies

(I love you people, have I mentioned that lately?)

**wackoramaco87 **Light and Darkness, how long have they been together, hmm... I further elaborate on them in this chapter, but I'd date it sometime after they settle in the first universe (which should make more sense after you read this chapter) **Velf** Thank you! That line was original to the scene ('cause I rewrote it three times) and I really wanted it in the story, so I'm glad you liked it. **GoldenRat** Maybe, maybe not. Light isn't even really sure. **Kataan** Okay, this isn't soon, but thank you for your review and I'm sorry! **Storm-Maker** I know, Kohaku actually has this really weird inferiority complex, which is really hard to write around, but it showed up and now I can't dismiss it. **Kute Anime Kitty** Sorry for the late update. I almost feel bad for making so many people sad. **Theresa L'Anne** Thank you! I'm very flattered. **avolare** Wow, good I accomplished what I hoped to. I've been getting very worried that this whole thing is turning into a soap opera. **chaotic.calm **Sorry to make you loose sleep, but thank you! You people are all far too kind to my ego. **Sagitarious Devil** Thank you! Light and Darkness, I was wondering how people would take that and I'm really glad it went over well. **anonymous** I'm so flattered! It's great to hear how people actually respond to the stuff I'm writing. And don't worry, I won't tell the other authors. **SakuraRider** Okay, because Kohaku technically went through 6 processes that would have caused normal spirits to end up ceasing to exist and fading into the darkness, Kohaku thinks of himself as "dead." I explain more this chapter, but I hope that helped a little. **Freaky Person O.o** Sorry, I'm a scatter brained author. Who's Mr. Fluffy? **Lady Shiriana** Thank you! **Asami** Chihiro would go to Light, but as you can see, Light has issues too. I hope I answered your sister's question, I can try again if that explanation was too vague. **crazy-lil-nae-nae** Just a bit depressing maybe. They're all very emotionally screwed up characters right now. **Sakura Arielle** TRYING! I promise I am. **A Fading Shadow** Don't cry! I make too many people cry in the story as it is! **Twilight Faerie **Ko and Haku as Sasuke and Naruto? I didn't think about it as I was writing it, but you're right they kind of are.** baka-onna2003** Don't worry. If the story dictates that Chihiro needs to go back, she'll go back. I've managed the past 15 chapters, so trust me.** KatsyKat **You know, sometimes I wonder that myself. **S. B. Kisses** I'm sorry! I'll try and work quick on the next chapter. **SnowhiteandtheSevenDragons** Oh, I feel bad now. Cheer up! Better things are on the horizon. **Goldamon X** Sorry! Working... **KatzEye** Thank you! You're all too kind. **hellokitty-sayhello **Yeah, when the story is over I'm going to go back over it with a fine toothed comb, promise. **Shitza** Giving nightmares was not the goal but hey, whatever works.

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Chapter 16: Pawns of Fate

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Tomoe had always liked Kohaku, even though she only knew him by reputation and stories from Light, which she sometimes doubted the validity of, because once she had told her that Kohaku had gotten really made and put a dent in the moon. But for the most part Tomoe trusted the truth of them. And Chihiro's gushing. The girl had it bad.

Perhaps it was better to say that Tomoe respected Kohaku. He was the lost spirit and warrior for the council, but he was somehow completely normal, okay, maybe not, but he didn't have an ego.

And even with all that power, he was still grounded with the human girl who he had saved so many years ago, and who had saved him in return.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked over at her best friend, the path that her tears had trod clearly visible with the early dawn raining in.

But now he had done this, and she didn't know what to think.

She knew why he had done it. It was just as painfully obvious to her that if Chihiro didn't leave she would be a risk, and Kohaku's life belonged to the council. Light would not sacrifice the spirit world for the sake of one human girl, no matter how much she loved Kohaku.

But humans had free will, and they couldn't make this choice for her.

And knowing why Kohaku had done it did not make Tomoe feel better when she found Chihiro in tears, barely able to tell her what was going on. Tomoe had done everything she could to make the broken hearted girl feel better, and she was glad that she had finally gone to sleep. For a while, Tomoe had allowed herself to stew in anger for the lost river spirit, but she had eventually hit the one question that had been bothering her for so long, and her anger was quelled.

She had watched out for Chihiro for the past five years, been her best friend, kept her safe. But she had only met Chihiro because Light had commissioned her to protect the human. She had kept Chihiro safe so that Kohaku would have a reason to stay on Light's side, and a threat if he didn't. So for Kohaku, Light had asked Tomoe to keep Chihiro safe. Did that make Tomoe her guardian? Or Kohaku?

Tomoe knew she wouldn't force Chihiro across the barrier tomorrow, even if Kohaku had left her orders. She could only assume that was what was in the letter that she hadn't opened yet.

Did that mean that she was putting Chihiro in danger? That she was preventing Kohaku from keeping her safe?

Which one of them was guarding Chihiro now?

* * *

The silver cliffs were quite possibly Kohaku's favorite place in all of the spirit world. They were, as the name suggests, made of a mineral that looked very much like silver, though it didn't hold the same value. There was one tree that grew there, a tall weeping willow, and legend says that a soul waited there forever for their mate, until a spirit took pity on her and made her a tree. Kohaku didn't really believe in the legend, but he liked sitting against the tree and watching the blue ocean break against the silver cliffs in flashes of unfathomable color.

Which was why he was in the place most exactly opposite of that he could think of: the desert. It was dry and dirty and empty and hot and the whole thing just felt like death to him.

"Ugh."

And obviously Light agreed. He looked up to see her standing over him in a protective bubble that kept the drifting sand and scorching rays off her person.

"You have a real masochistic streak, you know that?"

Kohaku ignored her, pretending not to have heard her comment over the brewing sandstorm.

But Light was apparently not in the mood to be ignored.

The landscape changed abruptly to that of an emerald glade and Kohaku was only faintly surprised that she hadn't chosen to take him to the gardens of the House of the Moon so the guardians could have a shot at him as well.

"Do you have orders for me Light-sama?" He droned tonelessly. He wanted to back to wallowing in misery.

"Yes." She chirped. "I order you to talk to me."

Kohaku sighed. Ever since being made warrior for the council and meeting Light, he had been familiarized with the concept of girls and "talk to me." He wasn't quite sure he liked it.

"I told Chihiro to go home."

"I expected as much." She moved and sat down beside him. "Do you regret me giving you back those memories?"

A pause.

"No."

She turned her head to look at him. "That's it, just 'no'?"

"I needed to know."

"But you didn't need to go through the pain of your own death again Kohaku."

"...It's better this way. This way I remember I'm fallible."

Light sighed. "Just because you died Kohaku, doesn't mean you're dead."

Kohaku turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me Light-sama, but that made no sense."

She shoved him lightly. "I'm going to explain."

He looked at her expectantly and she cleared her throat dramatically. "As I was saying..., um... Oh! You made me forget!"

He smiled faintly.

Light sobered. "Seriously though, I think it's about time I told you something. Something I haven't told anyone in a long, long time."

He looked at her, curious.

She took a deep breath. "Long ago, before man, before spirits, before time, there existed the Powers. Great beings with great strength that echoed like waves across the expanse of nothingness that was. Two of these Powers were opposites and fought constantly, and were thus largely ignored by the others. Then, eventually, the Powers grew lonely, and from their desire they came together and bore forth the universe. But no sooner had everything cooled and the first life began to walk the earth that the two Powers resumed their fighting. Their strength was too great for the structured and infant universe to contain, and they ripped it apart. Ashamed by what they had done, the two Powers preserved the remains of the first universe and began to help in making the second. In order to prevent another such tragedy from occurring, the two feuding Powers, later to be known as Light and Darkness, bonded themselves to human souls. In this way, their power would be contained but their fighting could continue. And each of them was born, many times, each time having no memory of their past."

Kohaku was still and quiet, showing no sign of the thoughts that had to be racing through his head.

"So you're not here?"

"Well, that's complicated. The core of me is here, with my brothers. The part that remembers. For each life that I live I gain new memories. I can be transient. It's a nice power."

"And Darkness? The first universe?"

"We both stay here as our penance for killing it. This is the first universe Kohaku. Where everything started, and where the end beings. In some ways, we're all dead here."

Kohaku was looking at her skeptically. "So is this the end then? Or is there something past this?"

Light smiled sadly. "I wish I could tell you, but part of the agreement Darkness and I made when we decided to stay here was that we wouldn't meddle in worlds outside these. Our fighting infects enough as it is."

"But if you're here, where is Darkness?"

Light looked away. "He hides in the shadows, controlling things there. He had his own champion."

"Djavel."

"Yes."

"And I have to fight him."

"Yes."

"He won't give in."

"No."

"One of us will die."

Light had started to cry silently. "Yes. But Kohaku please don't think of this as a suicide mission. Don't think of it was a mission at all."

"They're all suicide missions. Because each of them is so important in some way that my life would hardly be worthy to pay in tribute. And even if it's not a mission at all I still have got through with it. Darkness or not, Djavel is still providing support for the separatists. And I have still pledged my life to the council and to you, Light-sama."

"And I'm saying that you don't have to do this. You could make yourself a physical body. Run away with Chihiro to the mortal world." The tears hadn't stopped. She didn't understand why they hadn't stopped.

"And who would be happy with that?"

"Please understand that I never wanted you to go through this. I never wanted this to happen." It came out as a soft whisper.

Slowly, Kohaku rose to his feet. He offered a hand to Light and pulled her up as well. He bowed low.

"In some ways Light-sama, I"m very glad it did."

* * *

Getting up in the morning was still on of the hardest parts of staying at the bathhouse. Oh sure, there was the back-breaking work, leering frogs and scary spirits, but nothing was quite as bad as waking up in a place that just felt completely _wrong _and knowing you had a full day of them ahead.

Usually they awoke to one or another of the bathhouse workers pounding on the door and screaming at them to get their lazy human butts out of bed. Well, 'bed' being the figurative term Claiming to be unable to stand the human stench, the spirit workers had given the couple a closet to doze in.

That morning however, they awoke to the sound of laughter and the feeling of a familiar presence.

Her husband was still snoring when she sat up and looked critically at the door.

"Chihiro?" She asked, but the cool morning didn't answer her.

She turned and shook her husband awake. He muttered grumpily and rolled over, and only submitted to being woken when she pulled sharply on his ear.

"Daddy! Mommy! Come on!"

They both turned, but were rewarded with only the briefest glimpse of a shadow figure on the screen of the door.

She rose immediately and began dressing.

"What...?" Her husband mumbled.

"That was Chihiro." She answered. "Something is going on with that girl and I want to know what. Come on."

Minutes later the couple was stumbling through the small town, chasing the phantom that had taken the appearance of their daughter.

Of all the spells he knew this was one that he'd had to use all too frequently for the distaste he had for it. Yes, the climbing and swirling notes of the crystal flute was exquisite, but each pulled on the image they made collectively like gilded puppet strings.

The humans stopped suddenly as the smiling image of their daughter disintegrated into the wind and they were faced with the boy who had taken Chihiro away from them.

"You!" The male Ogino exclaimed, point an accusing finger at the river spirit.

"You're the one they call the dragon boy aren't you?" His wife chipped in. Kohaku nodded slowly, silently wondering exactly how much living at the bathhouse with Lin had undermined his reputation.

"What have you done with our daughter?"

"I have done nothing to your daughter."

"Liar! You've bewitched her. You and your little magic tricks. That's why she won't be sensible and come home with us!" Ogino accused, drawing himself up and thundering at the teenage boy who was the perceived threat while his wife stayed safe behind him.

Kohaku shook his head. "No magic I have could steal human free will." Maybe he could skew it a little, but that wasn't the same thing.

"I don't believe you." He huffed.

Kohaku didn't have an answer to that. "I'm here to send you home."

Ogino crossed his arms over his chest. "Not without Chihiro."

Kohaku resisted the urge to sigh. Why couldn't this be easy? Why was nothing ever easy for him?

"Chihiro keeps going off with you." Chihiro's mother started as she sidestepped her husband and began moving down the stone steps toward him. "She thinks you can do anything. I'd like to trust my daughter's judgement, but..." Her eyes were fixed on the crystal flute and instinct forced the magic that turned it back to the crystalline katana, which he strapped to his side.

"You're not human."

"No I'm not." He agreed.

"Chihiro is."

Astute observation, he thought dryly, but didn't otherwise reply.

"It's not safe for her here."

"I agree."

Now both adults were looking terribly confused. Realization came to the female Ogino first.

"You're going to break her heart."

Kohaku looked away.

"What? What's going on?" Her husband insisted.

"You see dear, not unlike most girls, our daughter has convinced herself that she's fallen in love with Prince Charming."

"What?" He asked again, but Kohaku knew that the little speech was being made for his own benefit.

"Once she realizes that Prince Charming is ready to ship her off, she'll be more than ready to come home, and stay there."

That was the plan. Now all he needed was for Chihiro to play her part...and to tie up the loose ends. He held out two small charms to them. They regarded them warily.

"They are to get you home safely. Chihiro will be there when you cross over." Or at least that would be what they remembered.

They accepted the charms.

"What do we do?"

There were many reasons that adult humans weren't suppose to come to the spirit world. This was one of them.

"You walk back the way you came." The night ocean had already fled from the morning light. "And don't look back."

Right.

Don't look back.

Why wasn't he following his own advice?

* * *

"Sister dear, could you please explain this one more time?" Zepher asked, because Akiro had already given in to his frustration, Gaven looked like a stone and Kaz was still in a state of disbelief.

"Kohaku is missing."

"He's the warrior for the council! He can't be missing!" Akiro hissed.

Light sighed. "As of daybreak this morning, Kohaku disappeared from the sight of the watching pool and severed all links to me."

"But-But that's just not possible!" Kaz insisted.

Light shook her head. "I thought so too."

"Should we go look for him?" Zepher asked.

"You wouldn't find him."

Akiro's eyes narrowed. "How are you so certain?"

His sister looked away. "He doesn't want to be found."

"The war council is gathering. He should be here presiding over things!" Kaz argued.

Light swallowed with a little difficultly. "I think that the war council is the least of his worries right now."

"What?"

"The darkness is coming for him."

All four guardians stared at her.

"No..." Akiro denied it first.

"You all can't have forgotten!" Light said, desperation clouding the tone she was struggling to keep calm.

"Of course not, but, Kohaku...He'd not like the others."

The other guardians nodded at Kaz's reasoning, made more sensible by the flutterings of panic that had overcome the room.

"That doesn't make a difference! Time! Power! Love! Hate! They mean nothing!"

Light was screaming now, because she wanted her brothers to understand and to take the guilt away, because she had sheltered them from it but now all she wanted was to feel okay again.

"This is happening, and there is nothing we can do to stop it."

Silence.

Some span of time later, that humans would define but the five spirits had no use for, there was an urgent knock at the door. The messenger burst into the room.

"My lady! Light-sama! The House of the Moon is under attack!"

* * *

A/N

For anyone who cares, I've been messing around with stuff on my computer and now have a bunch of stuff relating to spirited away and this fic on my website which you can link to through my bio. Um, yeah, this has been a shameless plug courtesy of the author. 'Till next chapter.


	17. the death of gods and men

Disclaimer: Spirited Away is the intellectual property of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. No money is being made from this work.

* * *

Chapter 17: the death of gods and men

* * *

As a spirit, Tomoe never needed to sleep or eat. Like many spirits, she did so anyway because they made her feel better and by now it was simply habit from playing the part of human so long. 

While Chihiro slept, she watched the sun rise. There were soft grumblings from the floors below as the bathhouse workers slipped back into their rooms and bedded down for the day. Meanwhile, some guests were rising to depart for the day. The whole world was in a state of flux, half-awake and half-asleep. 

The uneasy peace was shattered abruptly as Tomoe caught a snatch of conversation being conducted in heated whispers by two mid ranking spirits in kimono. 

"I just heard. The house of the moon is under attack!" 

Tomoe felt cold, like the sun has suddenly died. She wanted to follow them and demand an explanation, to have them tell her that they were lying—that they were mistake, but she doesn't, because no spirit would ever say such a blasphemous things if it wasn't true. 

She gripped the wooden railing of the balcony for support and touched the pocket where she had kept the letter she had never wanted to open.

* * *

"Chihiro?" 

Tomoe's voice was soft, but Chihiro could hear the intense undercurrent of worry. 

She sat up and yawned. "Tomoe? What's wrong?" 

Tomoe took a long, shuddering breath. "Chihiro—things have gone wrong. Really, really wrong. The House of the Moon is under attack by the separatists. It's too dangerous for you to be here. I-I'm not powerful enough to protect you on my own." 

Chihiro shook her head in astonishment. "But-what? What about Kohaku? Where is he?" 

"I don't know." Tomoe whispered. "But Chihiro--he works for the Council. He has to be there to protect Light. To protect our world. I know that he would want to protect you but-the only way he can do that right now is by sending you home." 

Chihiro bit her lip and clenched her fist. Her nails were worn down from work at the bathhouse to the point where she didn't feel them cutting into her palms. She nodded. 

"I understand." 

Tomoe let out a breath. "Thank you Chihiro." 

"But Tomoe—will you come get me when it's over? When you know what's happening to Kohaku?" 

Tomoe gave her a soft smile and took one of Chihiro's clenched fists in between her hands. "I promise." 

Chihiro struggled to smile in return. She swallowed. "Do I have to go now?" 

Tomoe nodded and stood. Chihiro struggled but followed suite. 

"A very noble action." 

Both girls jumped and turned to see Kawa-kami in the doorway. He smiled wearily. "I'm afraid, my dear Chihiro, that right now you're needed here."

* * *

Kohaku knew every major city and landmark of the spirit world from his wandering year (at least the ones that didn't move). He could find his way from land or air and had never gotten really lost. If he listened hard enough, he could hear whispers in the wind, from the earth, and if he asked the right questions they would tell him 'you are here.' 

He followed the trail of fear in their whispers and he was not surprised when he found Djavel, lounging in a field of dead spring buds. 

"Come." He invited Kohaku. "Lay down and talk with me. The whole world is waiting for us to decide its fate. Why rush to our deaths?" 

Kohaku raised an eyebrow. Why indeed? 

Still, he kept one hand on the crystalline katana as he lay down near Djavel. 

"So." The other began. "How did you get into this line of work?" 

He nearly laughed. "I'm a lost spirit. I've got too much power and I'm too damn unstable for them to let me run around on my own." 

Djavel laughed. "I use to envy the freedom of spirits, but you live no different than us, huh? Always and everywhere in chains." 

Kohaku frowned. "You're…human?" 

"I was." 

"Then why would you ever…"

"Ah." Djavel interrupted him. "Why would I be on the side of the separatists?" He plucked one of the flower buds hanging lifelessly above him and it blossomed as he lowered it to his nose. 

"That's the funny thing about sides—they never make any sense. The separatists want to keep the spirit world and the human world separate. Now, I'm all for that. The farther you spirits stay away from us the happier I'll be." He smirked. "And of course they're causing mayhem and discord in Light's perfect little world, and I'm all for that." 

Kohaku shook his head. "Don't you want to be at peace?" 

When human souls were at peace, they disappeared from the spirit world. To another life…to another world…or to oblivion…no one knew but anything sounded better than their steady static existence. 

"I will never be at peace." Djavel snarled. "They took my daughter from me." 

Kohaku looked down at his own pale hand. "I'm sorry." He offered. 

"Are you?" Djavel asked. "You keep that human girl here and let her think that it's actually possible when you know as well as I do that it's not." 

Kohaku looked over and met his eyes. "You're right. It's stupid…but I love her."

"You're destroying her." 

"I don't know what else to do." 

"Ah." Djavel handed him the small daisy in full bloom. "No matter really. It will all be over soon."

* * *

"Kawa-kami." A pretty girl of twenty or so with red hair met them on the other side of Light's shield. 

"Kasumi-san. May Light guide you on your path. And may my young apprentice not be there to trip you up as you go about it." 

She laughed and then looked guilty about it. "Has he contacted you?" 

Kawa-kami shook his head. Kasumi frowned and her hand naturally gravitated toward the short sword strapped to her side for reassurance. 

"May I introduce Chihiro?" The river god offered and Kasumi blushed as she regarded the other girl. 

"I'm quite sorry. It's a pleasure to meet you. Things have just been quite stressful here, and we're all worried…" 

Kawa-kami frowned. "How long have you been on guard duty?" 

Kasumi purposefully averted her eyes. "A while." She answered. 

"Well, I'll be back to relieve you after I've taken Chihiro inside." 

An expression of resentment and gratitude ghosted over the girl's features. "Thank you." 

He nodded and took Chihiro by the elbow to guide her inside. 

Everywhere there were spirits. Many were humanoid, but some were not and Chihiro thought that she saw the radish spirit tending to a boy about Kasumi's age down who was lying down in mid-air, but Kawa-kami led her deftly through the masses and she could have been mistaken. 

They come to a marble door. The four guardians stand tight-lipped and pale in front of it, each in full battle-garb. 

"Kawa-kami." Kaz acknowledged the river spirit first. 

"I've brought Chihiro." The old man encouraged her forward a few steps. "By your leave, I'll go relieve Kasumi-san of the watch for the time being." 

Akiro nodded and the river god was gone without another sentence. 

With the mess of spirits behind her and the four guardians facing her, Chihiro cannot help but feel alone. Tomoe had wanted to accompany her, and Chihiro almost wished she had, but it was necessary for Tomoe to stay at the bathhouse to impersonate Ai, should any of Ai's separatists accomplices come to the bathhouse and take advantage of the confusion with the attack on the House of the Moon. 

"Chihiro." Zepher addressed her. She looked up at him and he offered her a weak smile. "Please, go inside. Our sister would like to see you." 

Chihiro nodded and Gaven opened the heavy stone door to allow her entrance. It is dark inside, darker when the door shuts behind her, except for a small girl sitting on the surface of the water of the watching pool, shedding a soft pale glow on the room like the moon lighting the night sky. 

"Oh Chihiro…" She offered. "I'm so sorry." 

Chihiro wanted to cry, but refused to let herself. Kohaku was being strong and making sacrifices and protecting people. She was proud of him. 

"Come sit with me." Light asked and Chihiro was not surprised when she was able to walk on the water like it was glass and sit on it like she was sinking down into a cloud. 

Light smiled at her. "Hold my hand." She requested softly. "And maybe we will be able to see Kohaku yet."

* * *

It was not like sparing with guardians. Just as difficult certainly, but when he fought with the guardians it was always for mutual advantage, always as comrades to make each other stronger. Now it was for immeasurable stakes. 

They were evenly matched and after the first hour they stop trying to surprise each other and settle into a slow grueling pace. The winner would be chosen on pure endurance. 

"I loved her." Djavel muttered as they fight, repeating it again and again, half there and half not. 

"She gave me my girl and she left." 

Close-so close but Djavel was able to block at the last moment. 

"And then you took her away too." 

Kohaku blocked a strike and gritted his teeth as the crystalline katana sang in protest. 

He pushed back and they end up five feet apart. The flowers settled for the first time since they had begun, buds and leaves fall from their stems in the great silence. 

Djavel was laughing and Kohaku knew that the other had been driven mad by whatever happened to him and if he concentrated he could almost see what the other saw—a pretty woman with dark hair and a tiny baby girl and they're not quite there but they're close enough for him to touch but no one else and then they're gone and he doesn't know if they are or if he just can't see them anymore. 

"I will never forgive you!" 

Kohaku took a quick breath as he felt Djavel began to pull the fabric of the world apart.

"No!" 

It was a desperate move, a suicidal move—but something Kohaku had no doubt he could accomplish. 

"Stop!" He protested futilely. A tear in the spirit world would be destructive in untold ways, not to speak of what would happen to the human world on the other side. 

Djavel ignored him, chuckling. "This is the end my darling…the final end…" 

Kohaku offered a silent prayer to Light and an apology to Chihiro as he summoned every bit of magic he could muster to reverse the unraveling of the world fabric Djavel had started. 

A sound like thunder ripped through the air and the world shook.

* * *

It had been hours, nearly half a day since the sound and the shaking. Chihiro sat with Light in the watching pool and they watched and waited, but all they could see was water and a field with dead flowers. 

The Guardians prowled the perimeter of the House of the Moon. The separatists had fled with the shaking; fearing the power of Light would rain destruction on them all. 

"Alright." Akiro and Kaz finally came to fetch them. "We have guards stationed. It should be safe to leave now." 

It was early morning, the moon and the sun sharing the same sky. 

Light took them to the field they had seen in the watching pool. It wasn't like flying or transportation. Chihiro would almost describe it as going through a book, and skipping through locations like flipping through pages. 

The field was there and the flowers are dead, but their attention was drawn immediately to the gaping fissure that had split the field in two. There was a shallow pool of muddy water lining the bottom. 

"Oh no." Light shook her head. "No…" 

"Is he…? Where's Kohaku?" Chihiro demanded. Light struggled to raise her eyes to meet the other girl's. 

"No…" Chihiro protested. "He can't be…" 

Light swallowed. "I'm sorry Chihiro. This is all my fault." 

"No!" 

Chihiro ran to the edge of the fissure and fell to her knees at the edge, grasping at the dirt. 

"Kohaku…" She cried, tears falling into the muddy water below.

* * *

It is dark where he is, but the darkness is warm and rich and deep like sleep. 

He inhaled and exhaled and felt himself slipping away. And it was okay this time. He had done all he could do for them, so it was okay. 

Except…except…

He wanted to be there with them. To share in their happiness, to cry with them in their pain. He wanted to live his life tangled in theirs and for the first time he felt as if he could. 

He had spent a long time learning who he was and what mattered to him. He had died and been as dead. This was not like that. Instead of being broken into even smaller pieces he felt…whole. It was a nice feeling. 

He thought that he was ready to live. After all, he had been dead for a very long time.

* * *

The influx of water was sudden and smooth, bubbling up from the murky bottom. Chihiro fell backward in surprise as the ravine is filled with clear green-blue water. 

"What?" Light gasped out the word, frowning in confusion. 

The water settled to a comfortable level and continued flowing rapidly but calmly, like the quick march of an army returning home. 

Gaven noticed first of course, and pointed it out to the other Guardians as Light ran forward to join Chihiro. 

The flowers, once dead, were now blooming. 

The sun was fully risen and with the light reflecting off the water, Chihiro almost didn't see. 

It was Light's short shuddering breath that drew her attention. 

"Kohaku!" 

From some mythic location upstream the body had floated down, unmoving but unmarred. 

"Come help!" Light ordered the Guardians and they were so surprised they almost missed their chance to haul him up on the banks of the shore. 

"Is he okay?" Chihiro demanded, voice still thick with unshed tears. 

"He's fine." Light answered her, drawing the attention of all four of her brothers, who alternate between staring at her and Kohaku and the newly made river, looking for some paradigm of understanding. She rose. "I'm sure he'd rather see you when he wakes up. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak to my brothers for a moment." 

Chihiro nodded, not listening to anything past the reassurance that Kohaku would wake up again. 

"What's going on?" Akiro demanded when they were well out of range for Chihiro to overhear. 

Light was smiling through half-formed tears. "He did it. I don't know how, but he did it." 

"Did what, is the question." Kaz frowned in confusion. 

"I…I think he made himself a new river." Light laughed. "A spirit-world river. I don't know how but-he's stable. I mean, he hasn't really lost any of his power, but a lot of it seems to be circulating through there." She gestured to the new-formed waterway. "And without knowing…I don't know that I would be able to tell him apart form any other high-ranking spirit." 

Zepher gave a low whistle in response. "Well…hell. The kid's gone and done it again." 

Light smiled up at her guardians. "Yes, he certainly has."

* * *

He felt the sun on his face before he opened his eyes and he smiled at being able to feel the warmth. He sat up slowly, feeling like he had woken after a long sleep. He smiled when he saw Chihiro waiting for him, rubbing away tears from her eyes. 

"Chihiro...you're crying." 

She shook her head. "I'm just happy you're okay." She embraced him. 

After a moment she drew away, but he kept one hand on the small of her back. "I care about you very much Chihiro. I'm sorry I made you cry." 

He gently wiped away one of her lingering tears and she tried not to blush without much success. 

"I want you to be happy. Tell me how can I make you happy?" He asked her, head tilted slightly to the right in inquisition. 

She looked up at him and almost started crying again. "Don't leave me like that again." She pleaded with him. 

He smiled and leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "I promise." He vowed. "I will always be with you." 

He was visibly surprised, but nonetheless pleased when she kissed him in response.

* * *

"Aww…" Light cooed, watching them none too discretely from twenty feet away.

Kaz shook his head. "Geez. He gets to save both worlds, keep his super-powers, his position, and his life, _and_ he gets the girl? Typical, just typical." 

"I'm glad." Zepher grinned. "It's a nice ending for him." 

Light considered this. "Yes." She smiled. "But it's also a lovely beginning. Though perhaps of another tale."

* * *

Author's Notes

So…this is the end. I'm so sorry that it took so very long, but I hope no one is too disappointed. The next chapter is simply a couple of paragraphs and a storyline that would have been the sequel. Again, you can certainly skip it and you will miss nothing in the story. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this and especially to those of you who reviewed. This piece would never have been finished without you. 


	18. afterword

Warning! You read this at your own peril because it contains plot lines and information about a sequel that will never be written.

* * *

She gave no outward sign that she had felt it. But it was there, dwelling in the back of her mind like one of the shadows that belonged to him. 

Kohaku should have died, but he hadn't. 

Her other couldn't have given her that without taking something in return. 

A life for a life.

* * *

The sequel to Kohaku's Tale, had it ever actually been written, would have been called Spirit Hunting. Basically it would have been about Djavel's daughter (who we'll call Lia). It was purposefully ambiguous in the story, but what actually happened to Djavel is that for a human he had heightened perception of the spirit world. He fell in love with a spirit and they had a child, but her mountain was leveled and so she experienced spirit-death. Djavel doesn't know this and pretty much loses his mind when he realizes she's gone and he commits suicide. Because he blamed the spirit world for her death and the loss of her and Lia, Darkness took advantage of his spite and picked him as his champion. 

Now, Lia should have died when her mother did. However, because Kohaku survived, Light had to make a concession. So Darkness was allowed to muck up the timeline and allow her to live. 

The premise of Spirit Hunting is that Lia is grown up in Chihiro's world and leads a group that is militantly against the spirits and the spirit world. With Lia's half-spirit background, they actually have the power to hurt spirits in the human world. So Kohaku gets sent to the human world by Light and he gets to go to school with Chihiro and Tomoe as Tomoe's half-brother where he has to pretend to be a normal human while tracking down this group and trying to stop them. Meanwhile Chihiro thinks he's just there on vacation to visit her. Overall a bit more light-hearted than Kohaku's Tale, but going more into the idea of how spirits affect the human world and vice versa. 

* * *

I will be more than happy to answer any questions anyone still has. You can leave a review with your email address and I'll get back to you, or you can email me directly at novawings at aol dot com. 

Thank you again for taking the time to read this story. I worked hard on it and I'm glad if someone was able to enjoy it. 


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